Texas police say criminals often using imitation weapons

DALLAS (AP) — Police in Texas say more crimes are being committed with imitation weapons like BB guns, likely because they're cheap, easy to obtain and criminals may believe — mistakenly — that if they're caught, they'll avoid the severe punishment that can come with illegally possessing a real one.

[...] if the victim of a crime in Texas believes a weapon pointed at them is real, that's enough to warrant a first-degree felony charge — and a maximum sentence of life in prison.

"There's no training in the world that will allow officers to make split-second decisions on the difference between real guns and fake guns," Cook said, adding that his department may lobby for a state law that places restrictions on imitations firearms.

Cleveland officials last month reached a $6 million settlement in a lawsuit over the death of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old black boy shot by a white police officer while playing with a pellet gun outside a recreation center.

New York announced in December that 30 online retailers had agreed to stop selling realistic imitation guns in the state, where a law requires that fake or toy guns be brightly colored or have colored striping down the barrel.