New Gun-Shaped iPhone Case Poses Problems for Police

It would certainly be an understatement to say that the relationship between law enforcement departments and civilians in this country has taken a hit as of late.

With questionable run-ins having taken place across the nation, as our Palm Beach and Broward County criminal defense lawyers know, tensions are running high.

In this atmosphere, a new iPhone case which is shaped like a gun, is causing a stir. Law enforcement departments, and even one prominent U.S. Senator, have called for federal bans on the dangerous smartphone case.

So, what is the actual danger of a smartphone case shaped like a gun? Think about teenagers walking around with fake guns and pulling them out of their pockets in schools, shopping malls, restaurants, movie theaters, etc. Police, already on heightened alert due to terror threats, threats against police, etc., have to be ready to defend themselves and the civilian population from shooters.

If police see somebody pulling what they believe to be a gun out of their pocket, and they feel their lives, or the lives of civilians nearby, are threatened, they have a right to act with deadly force.

The issue, of course, as our Palm Beach and Broward County criminal defense lawyers know, is that police can confuse fake guns for real guns, and they can likewise confuse this gun-shaped cell phone case for a real gun. In fact, this gun-shaped iPhone case, which can be seen here in an online post from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office in New Jersey, is even more likely than a fake gun or airsoft gun to be confused with a real gun, as it doesn’t have an orange tip. You see, federal regulations require all toy and/or airsoft guns to have visible orange tips at the end of them, as to notify those around the fake gun that it is indeed fake. The gun-shaped cell phone case is not covered under that law, so it currently is being sold, legally, without an orange tip.

Several online retailers are still distributing this dangerous product, although many have ceased doing so, acknowledging the dangers voiced by police departments across the country. Yesterday, as our Palm Beach and Broward County criminal defense lawyers know, New York Senator Chuck Schumer called for retailers to immediately stop selling the item, which he argues might actually be illegal.

Our Palm Beach and Broward County criminal defense lawyers know that this issue is one that is rightfully receiving a lot of national attention. It is our hope that retailers cease sales of this dangerous item, which has the potential to senselessly increase violence between police officers and the civilian population. If you have any questions about this or any other criminal issue, or if you have been arrested for or charged with a crime in Palm Beach, Broward and/or Miami-Dade County, please contact our Palm Beach and Broward County criminal defense lawyers at Leifert & Leifert by calling 1-888-5-DEFEND (1-888-533-3363) to schedule a free consultation. We look forward to assisting you.