A Toronto man learned a hard lesson this week about the real danger of fake guns. Jeremy Bell found himself staring down the barrel of a police assault
rifle after a neighbour spotted Bell in his office handling what looked
like a genuine semi-automatic pistol.It turns out Bell was putting the finishing touches on a handgun made entirely of black Lego bricks.
After showing his creation to a co-worker, Bell put the toy away. But the neighbour had already sounded the alarm, and a short time later the Emergency Task Force arrived with weapons drawn.
Bell was thrown up against the wall and slapped with handcuffs. After a quick investigation, police set him free.
The 29-year-old Bell says he's a lifelong fan of Lego and that won't change. And there's no bad blood with the neighbour, either, who tweeted an apology to Bell and posted a note in his apartment window.
"He's like, 'Sorry, dude, it looked real,'" Bell says.
The cops told Bell, "Hey, at least you got a good story."
But officers everywhere continue to be concerned about the potential impact of realistic guns. In fact, police in the UK this week warned parents against buying their children plastic guns for Christmas in case the toys are mistaken for the real thing.
Earlier this year, Marketplace took an in depth look at imitation handguns and the threat they pose to the safety - and perception of safety - in our communities.
You can watch our story, The Trouble with Fake Guns, here.
The story doesnt clarify if this happened at home or at work. If it happened at work then I can see the neigbour calling but at home he was not doing anything wrong. it can be read both ways.
Just goes to show how idiotic our neighbors to the North are. They totally freak out at the mere 'sight' of a gun, lego or not. Now, if they actually took the time to 'learn' about weapons and how to use them responsibly, maybe they wouldn't have this fear and realize it's the person who handles the gun that can make it bad; not the GUN itself. Guns don't fire themselves folks!! LMAO at how stupid this was.
does this mean I can't own a fire exttinguisher either?
You seem to be very passionate about guns...but I bet you have never had to run for your life from armed killers before...at such moments in ones life, the thing that comes to mind is that if they only had a gun with which to defend themselves they would be able to live. People like you are the problem in society, people like you want to turn in your neighbors, and kill strangers on dark streets, no wonder you hate guns.
automatic and semi automatic weapons have been banned in Canada for almost 30 years - so had that particular gun been real it would have resulted in serious jail time for it's owner. The police responded appropriately to what (to them) was a report of a very dangerous weapon.
Uncomfortable for Bell but better to save lives first and worry about comfort second.
Anyone who argues for the "logic" of disarming the law abiding has abandoned their senses and the moral high ground.
Please stay in Canada. Don't ever come to America.
Take a look into any flea market in the gta and you can find replica guns that look better than the real thing . And the police do nothing about these places , I thought they passed a law about toy replicas , I remember when they were painted all bright colours so you couldn't make that mistake but now it seems that they are going back to regular gun colours .
Lot's of perfectly legal (without a licence) pistol pellet guns exist. What ever happened to the right of PROBABLE CAUSE? Do we now live in a nation of "SLIM SUSPICION"? I'm more fearful of such moronic cops than I am of gun owning neighbours!
I was in class when the shooting at Dawson college happened. It is not a univesity. When I recaped this event, I kept on wondering what would have happened if I had a sawed off shotgun, maybe I could have fired a slug or buck shot at the agressor. I know it's easy to say, but I had the impression that at least I could have done something about it if I was armed. But that wasn;t the case. BTW, cops did a good job. Took care of business fast.
A lot of people agree that our politicians are corrupted, but we still rely on them to fix our problems. The spoon feeding has to stop, the government should not be our nanny. We need to work together.
The question one should ask: 1) WHO is behind the policies of stripping law abiding humans of a basic right to self-defense, and place his/her self-defense in the hands of bureaucratic Government for protection? and 2) Why a disarming policy for a basic right to self defense and protection? 3) WHO gains by those policies? Certainly not the person who's life is threaten by who-so-ever.
Wowza! Getting heated on a bloody CBC blog over political opinion.
One John, im a sociologist, with an extensive background in public policy, so until i see you with a PhD, perhaps you should maintain a little bit more tact?
Two, this is an opinion, yes. I live next to Dawson college - where we had the CEGEP shootings, and went to the university known for its shootings. Fancy my opinion be against this
Three - okay guns are a tool. Guns can serve a purpose and indeed do. With this said, there is a fair debate to be made to what extent people should have the right to hold such an extensively powerful tool. Given this tool is also a weapon, and the practical use in a urban setting is limited at best, perhaps we should continue to be wary of its accessibility?
To what extent? Do hunters need to hunt? Are rash self defence weapons needed given the effectivity of our police?
are guns needed or are they just wanted? Im inclined to argue the latter, and if so is the case, we have opened up a debate on individual rights; here again, one must draw political beliefs to logic.
And it would seem CBCS getting some really right wing readers... I miss my good ol' logical leftys...
I think most of you need to re-read this story. This man was not at HOME, he was at WORK, no place for anyone to have a handgun for any reason! The use of the word "neighbour" may have been the wrong one. Use your brains people!
He was building it at his office, sad to say, I'd have called too. No harm no foul, but could have ended badly.
So what if he had a gun. Does having a gun make you a criminal? For crying out loud.....
Why would the neighbor call the police? Neighbors should communicate with one another and not be in a roped into this new tattle tale squad and rat patrol the govts want everyone to be a part of instead of a community that communicates with one another.
You live in a fantasy world. It's about as laid back as can be in this country. In addition to that, by the time you wake up, unlock and load your gun...you're already toast.
Stop and look around before spouting off.
This shows without question that toy handguns need to be registered, and full databases of individuals should be created so that police can determine whether or not concerns of neighbors can be verified before police raid, and the digestion of consumers is disrupted by abrupt, armed entry of private premises.
Colby Briggs, get your facts strait hand guns are regulated in Canada, correct, but not illegal at all. Lots of people own hand guns in Canada. The police were totaly out of line here. Even if the gun was real, there was no threat to anyone.
now here's a rational argument... the neighbor should also be tried for sticking his tattle-telling nose where it shouldn't have been... we can just attribute this incident to another act of patriotism in the name of ideas spawned through overexposure to CSI, law and order S.U.V, & the shield.....Propaganda!!
Wow... Lego gun reported...
Home come the Stapler on the desk was not reported! you can test tazed for having that in your hand
So if someone owns a registered pistol is he supposed to hide in a hole somewhere to look at it? This stigma attached to firearms is getting beyond rediculous . The neighbor in this story is a real piece of work ... sending an apology note for being an a-hole . Granted it would be prudent to call polic if your neighbor was waving a pistol around chasing your dog or shooting into the air but c'mon people , the man was in his office looking at a pistol . Big difference here . Are gun owners supposed to be ashamed of themselves for owning a pistol ?
Hog huntin. Now there's a good reason we all need to have a hand gun.
if you dont want to own a gun, fine.
but for those who think they can tell people HOW and IF they can defend their own lives, you should pull your head out.
if someone breaks into ur house what would u rather reach for? a gun or the phone?
anti-gun arguments are completely misdirected. good guys dont commit crimes. thats all there is to it. more guns=less crime.
they have a term for those who dont own guns. theyr called 'slaves'
Everyone has use for a gun; hunting style weapon or not. You need to understand that the aggressor (as in someone attacking you) makes the rules of a fight, and you either fight back by them, beat them, or you die by them. Guess what? They usually come at you with a gun. The decision is not complicated.
You get the government you deserve.
ALL CANADIANS SHOULD SEE THIS MOVIE
Oh Canada Movie - Our Bought and Sold Out Land
IT WILL HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE WHY'S
I agree with you and no one needs a gun to kill it can be easly done with your hand or a knife or a baseball bat so are we to outlaw all these to make a bunch of people happy?
Just one correction to the several comments here,while I agree the neighbour who tattled was perhaps overreacting or one of those sheeple trained to fear the mere mention of the word 'gun', the one point in his(her) favour was that Mr. Bell was in his place of work not at home. Anyway I never knew these Lego guns even existed, now thanks to Mr. Bell and the media I am ordering one, they are very very cool, with working action and everything. Given how slow the site is I don't think I am the only one ordering one :)
Yawn. Usual pro-gun nuts claiming up is down, black is white, and the mass proliferation of deadly weaponry is great for society.
Oh, and a smattering of people insulting the cops for doing their jobs.
Nice. Precisely the kind of people I'd really like to see allowed to posess weaponry heavier than a peashooter.
I remember a case of a child pointing a toy gun at an officer during a domestic dispute call to the residence. As I recall, the child was shot dead.
Man am I glad you brought this to our attention. Why should we stop at guns when we should also get rid of all of the bad pencils in the world that are intent on misspelling all of those words.
Banning tools only encourages irresponsibility.
Really? Almost illegal? You know that with a restricted firearms license (not that difficult to get)in Canada, you can legally own such fun items as an AR-15? What someones reasons may or may not be for owning the weapons they choose to, are none of your concern, at all. We're supposed to live in a free and just society, but each and every day we're walking closer and closer to a police/nannystate just like the UK has become. I should be allowed to do what I want within my own home, anything at all, within the law. Owing a weapon is within the law, and it's not up to you, my neighbours, the police, or anyone else to determine otherwise. It's my right to have the protection I desire against anything that may come to harm me -- even police officers if need be. So yes, EVERY human being should have access to anything they desire, for whatever reason desire, so long as it falls within the law. Please be advised a clear understanding of the differences between -actual- laws and statutes that are given the -appearance- of a law is needed to understand where I'm coming from.
By your reasoning the only people allowed to have the tools needed to defend themselves are the police. How are we supposed to protect ourselves against that kind of force should an officer, or group of officers, take it too far? This is happening a lot more often than you think, brutality is on the rise, and it's high time they are held accountable for their actions. Perhaps armed citizens would deter them, after all, who else will protect us from the police?
I'm an ordinary Canadian citizen, who just wants to go about his business. I harm no one, and try to spread good in a world where evil reigns supreme, I own guns on the basis the only one you can truly count on to protect you and your family, is you.
Poor Canadians. You've turned your country into a police state and promote a tattle tale nanny state just like England. Unfortunately this is happening here in the US as well but some states won't put up with it and will remain free. You better wake the hell up before you are nothing more than slaves for the New World Order.
A gun is not just a tool of killing, it is also a tool of self defense. As this article clearly demonstrates you never know when a group of people armed with semi-automatic weapons are going to force their way in.
Indeed everyone should have access to guns. Crime rate go way, way, way down when the public is armed. Guns don't cause violent crime, criminals do. If guns are outlawed then only outlaws have guns. Then there is no one (but the police, who cannot be everywhere all the time) to stop the armed criminals.
If the public is armed, then criminals are less likely to pull out their guns because they know that all the good people there, who would otherwise be victims, are likely armed as well.
Hand guns are legal in Canada with the proper permits. So is collecting guns. People have the right to do what they will in their own homes especially if not breaking any laws. What is with this Stassi style guilty until proven innocent tactics from the neighbors and police? Their methods are the real crime here. The neighbors and police should be sued. Maybe then they would learn Canadian law before they leap into action.
If it was me, there would've been major payback to that pos neighbor.
Can you say "Police State"!!!!
Oh, c'mon....deadly things surround us at all times, electricity, cars, hammers, powertools, axes, kitchen knives, no everyperson should have access to these things too, I guess.
can anyone tell me why people with guns are scarier than people with guns AND costumes? what would drive someone to trust costumed strangers more than their neighbor?...to call in armed strangers to terrorize someone just b/c they feel some vague and distant threat is a little bizarre IMO.
i know what some will say...it's b/c the costume means the govt guarenteed the person will be responsible...but by what merit has govt earned a reputation as hiring responsible people? it's not like THEIR salaries dry up if they are incompetent failures or loose cannons with emotional problems.
Colby is just the kind of arrogant ignoramus I love to despise... please continue to spew your factually incorrect and ignorant rhetoric for all to see, you pompous ass. Who appointed you to decide who has a need for what?
The problem isn't fake guns, the problem is the media convincing everyone that possessing a firearm is a crime. Really what would this man have been charged with if it was a real hand gun!?
I don't understand the mentality of the neighbor either. He is terrified to see his neighbor with a "hand gun", however he thinks it is normal for the Government to storm into a Lego enthusiasts house with black armor and assault rifles drawn.
Why do the ignorant always play to the tune desired by the Government?
- Oh wait I remember, it's because the dumbing down and social engineering of the public was intended to bring about a class of timid, busy bodies to work as Government Minions!
What is this, day 3 or 4 of this story in the media?
Media is Directly responsible for Glorifying violence in all movies using all types of weapons ! Remember it is the mind commands the finger to pull the trigger not the gun ! A gun is an inanimate object and without guidance it is useless !!! Perhaps if we were to promote less violence we would not be afaid of a gun beacause it would likely reduce the chances of ever being used ! This is very difficult in to accomplish western society beacuse of freedom of thought , choice and religion !
Perhaps we should live in a totalitarian society
where children report on their parents and neighbours report their neighbours !
Those who give up liberty for security deserve neither liberty nor security.
"a stupid and deadly thing as a gun" ?? What a completely uninformed and uneducated comment. A rock can be deadly if used improperly. A gun is an inanimate object that will sit and do absolutely nothing all day long until someone picks it up.
"handguns have always been heavily regulated in canada (almost illegal)" Again, very uninformed and uneducated. Help us out here and define "always" and "almost illegal" .. the process for buying handguns and other firearms that are considered in the "restricted" class, such as an AR-15 is actually quite straightforward. Yes, there are regulations about what you can do with them, and where you can shoot them, and how to legally store them, but there is no such a thing as "almost illegal" ... is that similar to "a little bit pregnant"? The point here is that busy-body neighbors and police who act first and then ask questions later are the problem, not someone holding a firearm (real or toy). Are we in East Berlin now where everyone tells on everyone else? The nanny state that is being created and has been created over the last 30 years is despicable.
Canadian slaves... weapons arent for 'friendly uses' they are for defending your life and your property from thugs, criminals, and a tyrannical government.
The fear of inanimate objects, I thought we had evolved past that point. Take that combined with the compulsion to be a voyeur with a penchant of being an informer for the police state government, and PRESTO! instant fascism. Oh well done Canada well done
Police should excuse this man and the SWAT team should do 2 hours cleaning work at his house :)
The day guns are illegal is the day cops will storm into your house slam you against the wall and do whatever they want... Kind of like all the 3rd world contries that don't let their citizens have guns... Nice place to live!
umm they have not always been regulated. look back into the history of gun control in Canada my friend there was a time when canadians could own one without the pressures of an over controlling and utterly useless gun control system. the only form of firearm that has always been regulated is fully automatic weapons, Canadians have never (and in my opinion should never be) allowed to own one.
Thank God America still has a 2nd amendment to their constitution. The individual right to protect oneself from harm with a handgun or rifle does not exist in the rest of the world. In most places in America; except those where the fascists have taken over local governments, one can carry a concealed weapon for self defense. Candians aren't free people - their slaves to the police state in which they live....
First of all guns are not stupid, although people can be. Secondly guns are not supposed to be for friendly purposes they are possessed as a deterrent to other unfriendly actions that criminals often commit. Thirdly, guns are just like any other tool you own. You should learn how to use it effectively and with purpose.
mvmiller
This is unfortunate story. A knowledgeable a educated public we are losing. This is a classic example of that. Who does the neighbor think that he is anyway? Let's say it was a real gun and it was registered and the man was cleaning it for example...who does the neighbor think he is? Yet, in greater Toronto and Vancouver areas people think it's against the law to own a handgun. So, in their minds, the right thing to do is tattle on their neighbors (similar to a civilian spy-force network, aka Hitler's Stasi) because these people who don't know what . This is the level of ignorance people have in Canada nowadays. Louisville sluggers, knifes, etc. are all dangerous, but do we ban those? NO! We as citizens require our privacy. When the people are armed there is liberty. The first thing that corrupt governments do before they kill you, is taking away the right to bear arms. This was the case with Hitler, Stalin, Mao, etc. The leading cause of unnatural death in the world is government. So, with proper education and clinics people can defend themselves properly. If somebody came into your house and threatened your family, what would you do? Crime decreases with an educated and armed public.
Despite what people have been brainwashed into believing guns are a big part of CAnadian culture and that is never going to change people need to grow up and deal with that FACT if you take guns away from Law Abiding citizens then only the criminals will have guns and as for the retard neighbor ya the guy had what looks like a gun big deal is he threatening you with it or pointing it at you no so just relax people in the country have guns and the neighbors dont call the cops on them because its normal and the cops will be like they arent doing anything wrong and besides handguns are a small caliber firearm and are no way more dangerous then a 12 gauge shotgun or something like that so banning them will not stop any crime
Mass murderers (Hitler, Stalin, Mao...), gun control works!
You who else liked gun control? :answer every dictator in history!!!
Seriously? Have you heard of competition shooting? How about hunting for hogs? At times an injured hog will charge and your only line of defense IS your handgun at such a close range. I'm not scared of guns, I'm scared of short sighted, ignorant sissies that think anything to do with being armed is BAD.
Guns are not deadly. It depends on the person holding it. And if it weren't for stories like this and many others that manipulate the minds of the people to fear them, it wouldn't be an issue. But gun control is an issue they push here in America and what was once normal for everyone to carry a gun it's now taboo. Why? Because media distortions. I think the neighbor here should mind his own business and not feel threatened simply because someone has a gun. Overly paranoid people...
We have become a police state. How does the neigbour and polive not know he has a license? Anyone is allowed to take the firearms exam and get a handgun or rifle. This article also does not mention that HANDUNS ARE LEGAL!!!! On the contrary I see this article gives the impression, that handguns are illegal. The average canadian whao watches too much tv and sees guns being demonized and made to seem illegal on tv. Criminals don't follow firearm laws, how many criminals legally obtained guns? On the contrary gun laws take guns out of law abiding citizens, preventing them from protecting themselves against criminals. Meanwhile we don't have enough police to protect everyone and the ones out there are on busy playing LEGO!
wow. just....wow. the dude was so scared he had to run to mommy and daddy gunvernment? are people really that pathetic and helpless? sad.
i love the comment defending all this puerile nonsense too...yes, of course whenever a submitizen has a firearm it's all scary...but when people with costumes and pieces of metal on are irresponsible with guns it's called "serve and protect" or "hey, we were just going by official procedure." so...guns are only safe when handled by random strangers WITH costumes rather than random strangers without costumes.
instead of cops telling people not to buy toy guns we need to tell cops to stop being so damn paranoid
The idiot that phoned the cops should be charged with making a false report and then have to take a weapon recognition course. This country has become a nation of wooses, afraid of everything imaginable. As ex-military, what is really scarey to me, is weapons in the hands of amatuers - the police.
Horrible headline. The gun didn't fool the cops, the gun fooled the neighbour. The cops responded to a phoned in call about a guy with a gun. How can that be considered the cops being fooled by the gun? Either the writing or the reporting is horribly flawed, or deliberate to make the cops look stupid.
Ross - handguns have always been heavily regulated in canada (almost illegal)
No everyperson should have access to such a stupid and deadly thing as a gun.
The cops did their job. What if the neighbour really did have a handgun? Its unlikely an ordinary Canadian would have any friendly need for such a killing machine. Its not a hunting weapon after all.
Since when is it illegal to own firearms in Canada? Maybe the trigger happy cops should have phoned first to initiate contact with this victim before they came in like the cavalry. Over reactive cops and public! What's next cops shooting at loud noises first and asking questions second?