Dancehall artiste held with fake gun during videotaping, released

A 22-year-old dancehall artiste was among seven people detained last Thursday in Maraval when police saw him brandishing a pistol, not knowing it was only a toy being used as a prop in a music video.

Police said they were called at around 4 pm by residents who saw the men with the toys, believing them to be real. Police questioned the men, and the artiste and his entourage told them the guns were not real.

However, senior police in the Western Division said they could not verify that on the spot, so they detained the men and took them for questioning to the Maraval Police Station, where they were kept for two days and eventually released when the guns were confirmed as toys.

Police said while it was not against the law to own toy guns, people using them to intimidate or rob others could be charged if held. An officer said importing imitation weapons could also constitute an offence under the Customs and Excise Act.

None of the men was charged.