Armed police sent in... to seize toy gun from boy of 9
ARMED police swooped on a car wash after a customer reported seeing a handgun.
They seized the weapon, which was on a table in a waiting area, and took it away for examination.
But now its owner would like it back – because he is only nine years old and the gun is just a lightweight plastic toy.
Ironically, the toy was part of a £10 police play set given to Eduardo Legavicius which included plastic handcuffs and a police badge.
But his father Marius, 32, said Lincolnshire constabulary’s Road and Armed Police Team – which features in the Channel 5 series Police Interceptors – had been in no mood for fun and games. The officers arrived at his Mr Shine Car Wash in Moulton Chapel, near Spalding in Lincolnshire, on Bank Holiday Monday.
Mr Legavicius said: ‘Eduardo had left the gun on a table in the customer waiting area. We’d only had two customers, so one of them must have alerted the police.
‘But would anybody seriously think we would leave a gun on a table? The toy is black, red and sliver and made of lightweight plastic. It was obviously not a real weapon but the officers said it would have to be taken for forensic testing.’
Mr Legavicius, a Lithuanian, said the gun was among toys Eduardo and his sister Meda, seven, kept at the car wash to play with when they accompanied him to work. It had been there for three months.
By the time police arrived, Mr Legavicius had taken the children home to his partner Ernesta Tamutyte, 29. His employee Tomas Zitinevicius said: ‘The police officers rushed in and asked if it was my hand gun. I told them it was just a child’s toy. They asked for my details and for the phone number of my boss and took the toy gun away.’
Officers left the scene within a few minutes. Miss Tamutyte said: ‘When you press the trigger it sounds like “click, click, click”. It was obviously just a child’s toy.’ Eduardo said: ‘I feel kind of sad because it’s my gun, I enjoy playing with it.’
A Lincolnshire Police spokesman said officers had received an anonymous call through the Crimestoppers charity, which made it difficult to assess the information.
He added: ‘A double-crewed traffic car was sent as those officers are armed. They did not raid the premises. Although the officers were reasonably satisfied that the object was a replica or toy, it was seized as per standard procedure.
‘What happens next usually is that the people involved will be contacted and arrangements can be made to have the gun returned.’
‘The trigger goes click click click’