Letting Kids Play with BB Gun Gets Queens Man Arrested

Yes, even a pellet BB gun can if improperly used put out an eye; but is playing with one at a park with your kids when it does not in fact cause any harm sufficient reason for arrest? Queens police think so, from CBS New York:

A Queens man was arrested Wednesday for allegedly firing a lifelike weapon and handing it over to his toddler-age son…..Jack Pawlowski was led out of his Queens home in handcuffs Wednesday, with his stunned wife and three young kids looking on. He said nothing as detectives put him into a squad car.

But earlier, he allowed CBS 2 up to the family's apartment to get a video of what he calls the harmless "kids' toys" that started it all.

Pawlowski told CBS 2 he took a toy gun, and two of his kids, around the corner to Ditmars Park. It was around noon and packed with kids and their parents.

It appears some in the park thought the guns were real at first.

"At first I thought I was hallucinating," said Maria Smilios of Astoria. "He pulled out this gun."

Smilios saw the toy up close, and at first thought it was the real thing. She gave CBS 2 a cellphone photo she said shows Pawlowski firing pellets at a tree.

Other aggrieved parents told him to leave the park, and he eventually did. One angry parent from the park:

called police, who arrived after Pawlowski left. She also called City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-22nd) and posted the photo on her "queensmamas" website.

That led to a tip that led investigators straight to Pawlowski's door.

"This is really a way to educate people," Vallone said. "You cannot run around with a realistic looking gun. It's against the law, and you could get arrested and actually go to jail."

Pawlowski "remained in custody Wednesday evening, on charges of reckless endangerment, endangering the welfare of a minor, resisting arrest, and possession of an illegal BB gun."

News video, including Pawlowski being dragged into the police car, the offending pellet BB gun, and the complaining parents at the CBS News link.

**UPDATE CORRECTION: Due to my own error, the headline originally referred to the gun as a pellet gun. It has since been corrected.

Comments

[a better weapon]

One angry parent from the park called police, who arrived after Pawlowski left. She also called City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-22nd) and posted the photo on her "queensmamas" website.

There isn't a pejorative strong enough to describe that woman. This guy didn't see a problem with it, listened to the voiced displeasure of other parents and left. But no, that wasn't enough for this cunt. She has to personally see to it that he is taken from his kids.

[Scarecrow Repair]

Drama queen mama.

[Loki]

Not only that, but how much you want to bet that CPS ends up getting involved? God I hate other people. And I think it's a pretty safe bet that anyone who runs a website called "queensmamas" is guaranteed to be one of those obnoxious helicopter parents who think the world revolves around their "speshul snowflake" and by extension, her. Fuck that bitch.

[Virginian]

Holy shit fuck that city.

[RightNut]

Ya my draw dropped:

Pawlowski "remained in custody Wednesday evening, on charges of reckless endangerment, endangering the welfare of a minor, resisting arrest, and possession of an illegal BB gun."

Fuck NY, in a sane world an angry mob would show up outside the police station and bust him out.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Luckily people with real guns showed up to save everyone! That was a close call.

[Duke]

This. Is what they're too stupid to see as the greatest irony of their convictions.

[UnCivilServant]

"This is really a way to educate people," Vallone said

However, Vallone refused to learn. Over-reaction and panic only makes yourself weaker and more pathetic.

[Tonio]

^This. But she will completely miss this message.

[Nazdrakke]

Ban guns, ban objects that look too much like guns, ban making gun noises, ban images of guns, ban artistic representations of guns, and yet people are still killed by guns. I mean, at what point will they realise the grand crusade is a failure because you can't ban the desire to have power over others or defend yourself from those who would seek such power? I'm guessing a month or two after fucking never. Good grief.

[RightNut]

Is it wrong that I want to finally buy a gun just as a fuck you to all the hyper over reactive statist fucks out there?

[UnCivilServant]

No, that is the appropriate reaction.

[RightNut]

If you already own a gun do you want an even larger one?

[UnCivilServant]

Still appropriate.

[Zeb]

No, just another one. Unfortunately, I have too many other things to pay for right now.

[geekster]

I don't like ARs. I bought two 80% recievers this year, just out of spite.

Unregistered assault death machine, because FYTW.

[Duke]

I don't either. I find them ugly and I don't like the weird sensation you get from the recoil spring. But I bought one (and a Russian AK) as soon as the crazies started foaming over a gun ban.

[Loki]

Nope. I'm right there with you. I plan on not only buying a gun, but also going to another state where it's still legal to buy "high capacity" magazines (fuck CO) and buying several. Just as a giant fuck you.

I also hope to get my own 3-D printer in the near future too.

[Brandon]

Honestly, you're living in New York. Fuck the totalitarian assholes and everything, but it was monumentally stupid to assume that they wouldn't arrest you for something like that. Hell, even in Texas, you can't shoot pellet guns in city parks without getting hassled by the law.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Sarcasm?

Arrested for what? Playing with a toy?

Don't know where in Texas you live, but the law wouldn't have batted an eye in any place I've lived.

[Brandon]

Not sarcasm. And BB guns aren't toys. You're full of shit if you think law enforcement anywhere in Texas would allow people to shoot BB or pellet guns in a city park. I'm not talking about open land, or pastures, I'm talking about city parks. Enclosed land within city limits designated as a park. And I don't think it's necessarily right, but that's reality. And if the part about his daughter riding around on her bike with it is true, then he deserved to have a talk with somebody about basic rules of guns. Yes, the one bitch massively overreacted, and so did the swine, but I'm not sure the guy is entirely a victim here.

[RightNut]

You really think its ok that cops dragged him from his home in front of his wife and kids and he could potentially be locked up for a significant amount of time? Next time your pulled over for going 6 mph over the speed limit please remind the cop that since your not entirely innocent that he has the right to treat you like a murder suspect.

If he broke a retarded NY ordinance against toy guns then he should be issued a reasonable fine and that should be the end of it.

[Cdr Lytton]

I'm not talking about open land, or pastures, I'm talking about city parks. Enclosed land within city limits designated as a park.

Forest Park, Portland

[Zeb]

I think that they guy should have known better. And I wouldn't object to a ban on toy guns that actually fire projectiles in city parks. But the appropriate level of hassling by the law would be to tell him to stop and not to do it again, not to arrest him and charge him with serious sounding crimes.

[Ice Nine]

This.

[Tonio]

And I wouldn't object to a ban on toy guns that actually fire projectiles in city parks.

I would object. Because that would ban Nerf guns which do indeed fire projectiles, albeit completely non-lethal projectiles. Nerf guns also are designed to not be mistaken for real guns - lots of bright red and green plastic.

However, having said that I think it's appropriate to ban BB guns from parks since those are actual weapons, though admittedly at the very low boundary of anything that could be considered an actual weapon.

[Zeb]

OK, I agree about slow moving, lightweight foam projectiles. Definitely can't rely on common sense in enforcing a rule like that. But BBs pellets or airsoft seem reasonable to forbid in a city park unless there is an area set up for that sort of thing.

[entropy]

There's that word, 'reasonable'.

[Zeb]

It's a good one, alright.

[JW]

But the appropriate level of hassling by the law would be to tell him to stop and not to do it again, not to arrest him and charge him with serious sounding crimes.

But then, how would the po-po get the opportunity to properly "educate" this man?

[Francisco d Anconia]

The world has gone mad. I don't know what else to say. Completely insane, off the rails, out of its mind, off its rocker, lost its marbles, BATSHIT CRAZY!

[Duke]

Yes it has Francisco. When I'm not working and saving, my time is spent dreaming of a way to live away from a big city in a self-sufficient manner. It's only a matter of time before either the crazies get their way, or the country breaks apart. Either way, the fallout will be hard.

[Live Free or Diet]

and possession of an illegal BB gun.

Had to read that a few times. A lot of times.

"He gave it to his daughter, who took off on the bicycle and started racing around the park with the gun pointing this way and just started pointing it at the kids."

This is where I have to agree there was a problem. Calling it a firearm though, is laughable.

[Tonio]

Yes, but that classification is pretty common. And a complete legal fiction.

One of the many problems here is that the great majority of people confuse the law with reality. If the law says it's a duck, then it's a duck even through it don't swim, quack or lay eggs.

[Zeb]

The "firearm" thing is really annoying. Where is the fire? It's an air gun. Which doesn't make it not a weapon (though I'd question classifying airsoft as a weapon). I certainly wouldn't want to get shot with a pellet or BB from a spring piston air rifle.

[The Late P Brooks]

That led to a tip that led investigators straight to Pawlowski's door.

"This is really a way to educate people," Vallone said. "You cannot run around with a realistic looking gun. It's against the law, and you could get arrested and actually go to jail."

SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING!

The President should give that woman a Medal of Freedom.

[The Late P Brooks]

How was this terrorist able to successfully evade the Stop and Frisk dragnet?

[Zeb]

By being white?

[PRX]

was it a pellet gun or bb gun? given the media's gun knowledge it was probably an airsoft gun. looks like one.

[Lord Humungus]

huh - my BB gun could fire pellets too - or at least that's what we called them back then.

[PRX]

I don't remember bb guns that could fire pellets, but pellet guns could fire bbs.

[Zeb]

I've found it to be the other way around. I have a cheapo BB gun that also does lead pellets and a decent spring piston gun that shoots pellets, but if you try to put a BB in it just rolls down the barrel.

[PRX]

I believe you. all my bb guns were lever action and a pellet would not load in those.

[Duke]

We used to put strike anywhere matches in our pellet guns and shoot them at the walls in the house. They would explode on impact. Really cool. Now, you cannot find strike anywhere matches...uh, anywhere.

[Zeb]

I can. Send me $20 and I'll mail you some. And I'm going to shoot some out of a BB gun as soon as I get a chance to.

[PRX]

in fact it looks like an ultra cheap low power spring loaded airsoft gun. probably 150 fps.

[Brian Doherty]

PRX---That was my error, since corrected. From charges and video, its BB gun not pellet gun.

[PRX]

it was probably neither but we should just be grateful there was a modifier in front of gun at all.

[geekster]

Wrist braced slingshots are illegal in NYC.

Sorry, I love NYC's culture and art and food, but you'd have to be insane to enjoy living there. Get in, have fun, go back and sleep in America. I don't think people who aren't in the city on a regular basis fully realize just how fucked NYC is. You could sell NYC to the Chinese and the government would probably get less statist assholely. The fact that the 'Statue of Liberty' is located there gets more cruelly ironic by the day.

[Auric Demonocles]

Sorry, I love NYC's culture and art and food

Huh. Different strokes I guess.

[Zeb]

I don't see how you could not like the food. You can find anything you can think of. Similar with culture. That said, I could live the rest of my life happily never going to Manhattan again.

[entropy]

That's true in any mega-city.

So are most of the problems with New York though... though probably not as much so.

[Spoonman.]

You can find anything you can think of in Dallas too.

[Duke]

I've actually had better NY style pizza in Big D than in New York. Brothers Pizza near LBJ is probably my favorite.

[Kaptious Kristen]

Pizza is the only thing NY has that I want.

[JW]

And not their burly, hairy and bald firefighters?

[JW]

Sorry, I love NYC's culture and art and food, but you'd have to be insane to enjoy living there

Pretty much this. Fun to visit, hell to live in.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The comments seem to be pretty anti-nanny. Was the CBS story linked from Drudge or something?

I guess I can relate to this. One time, I saw my neighbor's daughters playing with their Easy Bake oven and all I could think is "oh my God; they've got themselves a meth lab". I was so freaked out, I had to call the cops. I cannot imagine what I would do if I saw a father and his children enjoying time in the park with a toy gun.

[Loki]

The sad thing is I'm not even surprised at this shit anymore. This is pretty much the shitty reality in which we live.

I have a fake rubber gun that I sometimes use for practicing martial arts, like how to disarm someone who's about to shoot you in the face, etc. I've never once taken it to class or anywhere out in public because I'm worried that some bedwetter will see it, mistake it for a real gun (it is quite lifelike) and call the cops. Who will then shoot me without a second thought. So I only ever use it when I'm practicing at home.

[JD the elder]

A weird twist in NYC's laws is that it's almost harder to (legally) own a realistic replica than it is to own a real firearm. The laws set penalties for having a realistic replica, but while there's a defined process for getting a firearms permit, there isn't any such permit process, as far as I can tell, for a replica. I'm a photographer who sometimes wants to use prop guns in a shoot, but I have no idea how the hell I'd do it legally.

[Robert]

Ask somebody in theater props, of which there's plenty in NYC.

[The Late P Brooks]

If you already own a gun do you want an even larger one?

No. Another 1911 will do.

[RightNut]

You'll have to be more descriptive than that.

[Zeb]

Imagine a large pistol that is not a revolver. That's a 1911.

[The Late P Brooks]

I have a crappy spring launched BB gun I bought at Walmart for about fifteen bucks. It shoots either BBs or .177 pellets. I think most do.

[The Late P Brooks]

You'll have to be more descriptive than that.

Google (images) is your friend. That one John Wayne waved around in all those WWII movies.

[RightNut]

Never seen a John Wayne flick.

[matth]

And you call yourself "RightNut"?

[RightNut]

The name was always more literal than figurative. Not sure my politics could accurately be described as right wing.

Are John Wayne movies required viewing for someone on the right? Is John Wayne kinda the Ayn Rand of actors or something? I've seen a decent amount of Clint Eastwood flicks, does that make up for it?

[sarcasmic]

I'm surprised they didn't kidnap his children as well.

[RightNut]

Dont give the prosecutor ideas.

[Raston Bot]

The mother probably had to assure the cops that she didn't approve of what they were doing.

[sarcasmic]

Reminds me of the horror stories I heard as a child of how people lived in fear of being "reported" in the old Soviet Union.

Now I'm living it.

[mr simple]

Here's the queensmamas page about the incident. They are absolutely livid that the police didn't show up immediately to take down the "terrorizing" father and children. People in the comments advocate violence against them and don't see the irony. This is the mindset of a New Yorker.

[Loki]

Interesting, I get a 404 page not found error when I try to go there.

[db]

Yeah, this is probably the future of social internet.

[Adam.]

evidently the pulled it because i'm getting 404 error.

"At first I thought I was hallucinating," said Maria Smilios of Astoria. "He pulled out this gun."

Somebody hurry and bring the fainting couch for this maidens delicate sensibilities!

Fuck these nannies.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

No shit. Whoever decides that America is ripe for an invasion will have pretty easy pickings in the northeast. These bitches would probably throw their artisanal mayo jars at the invaders yelling "Go away! Go Away!" right before they get raped.

[nipplemancer]

He left after they complained, yet called the cops anyway? Fucking cunts.

[scape]

Queensmamas describes the gun as "a plastic 38-caliber loaded pellet gun."

WTF?

[Virginian]

The barrel was 38 inches in diameter? How did the kid carry it?

[db]

Pretty sure that would be a Destructive Device. Not to mention a suitable weappn for naval engagements.

[db]

It sounds like this guy was not being safe, and he should have known better than to do this in a public park (in a sane world, public parks would target ranges for kids to practice their marksmanship). He also should have been aware that New York (and probably local) laws treat BB guns like firearms in many ways.

However, he left when people asked him to. The overreaction to this on the part of the nebby shitheads who called the police and the police themselves and the prosecutor who evidently is charging him is disgusting.

[sarcasmic]

No criminal intent. No mens rea. Nothing was damaged. No one was harmed. No one was in danger.

Welcome to the land of the free.

[matth]

Right - seems the reasonable solution was for someone to go over there and say "Hey dumbass, don't shoot a BB gun in a public park. You could put someone's eye out." And the guy would pack up and go home. That should have been the end of the story. What asshole calls the police over this?

[Raston Bot]

stupid cunts

[Raston Bot]

and by "stupid cunts" I'm specifically referring to Leni Calas:

"I don't tend to take things lying down, so I went past the parents, and so I walked straight over and I confronted him," said Leni Calas. "I mean, he's brandishing a firearm and I don't care if that firearm is plastic. That's unacceptable."

[KPres]

"I don't tend to take things lying down"

There's your problem. Bitch needs to get laid.

[Marc F Cheney]

"You cannot run around with a realistic looking gun. It's against the law, and you could get arrested and actually go to jail."

Can I run around with an unrealistic looking gun? Like, if I take my Glock and make it look like one of them things from eXistenZ?

[The Late P Brooks]

Are John Wayne movies required viewing for someone on the right?

No. Just, generally speaking, a commonly recognized point of reference. Lots of people might say, "Oh, one of THOSE."

[NeonCat]

A BB gun fires either a 4.7mm metal ball or lead pellet. This looks like an Airsoft gun that fires a 6mm plastic ball to me but I could be wrong. It's not an especially bright idea to give one to a toddler to wave around but it shouldn't result in a man's arrest, either.

[Robert]

If I'm reading this story right, it's really evil. Following up on a story about real guns for tots, someone invites a TV reporter to record him and his child demonstrating play with a toy gun. Some wise guy sees that news story and calls council member Vallone, who then sics the authorities on this guy? Did the gun have an orange tip?