LAGRANGE, Ga. — The growing trend of shooting water bead guns has landed another person behind bars.
LaGrange police have arrested a man they say was pointing a splatter gun at people. Police have not reported that he fired the gun at anyone.
A victim reported to police that a man in a silver car pointed a gun at them. When officers found the car and tried to make a traffic stop, the driver, later identified as Travis Gates, pulled over into the parking lot of Central Baptist Church.
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The officer approached the car with his gun drawn because the victim reported that Gates had a weapon.
As the officer was approaching, Gates sped away and crash through a chain-link fence on private property.
Gates stopped just short of hitting another fence, got out of the car and ran. The officer chased after him on foot and Gates was subsequently arrested.
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Investigators found an Orbeez Splatball water bead blaster in the car and found that Gates had pointed it at the victim.
He is currently being held on a $14,000 bond in the Troup County Jail on charges of battery, criminal damage to property, pointing a gun at another, reckless driving, fleeing/attempting to elude officer, two counts of theft, theft by conversion and operating a vehicle without a driver’s license.
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Though the guns are considered toys and are not meant to be lethal, they can cause serious and permanent injury, Peachtree City police said after a child was surrounded while riding his bike and shot. There is also a growing trend of people modifying the guns to be more painful.
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