Columbia, CA…Are you afraid of snakes? Apparently this was the case for a 42-year-old man who was found walking down Hwy 49 near Parrotts Ferry Road in Sonora, with what appeared to be a handgun. Deputies contacted him after the Sheriff’s Office received several calls on Wednesday evening from concerned motorists. Deputies searched the man for additional weapons and upon further examination the firearm was determined to be a pellet gun. The man told deputies he was walking the roadway looking for rattlesnakes.

The pellet gun looked very realistic and did not have any marks distinguishing it from a real hand gun.
This encounter could have went very differently. The realism of these imitation guns, unless examined, can pose a challenge in distinguishing whether they are real or fake. They can be fun to play with but can also pose a safety hazard and create fear and panic if used in public places. Avoid a dangerous confrontation and do not show imitation guns in public. If you are carrying an imitation gun and are approached by Law Enforcement, place the gun on the ground and obey their instructions.

The man was counseled on walking around in public with such a realistic looking firearm and the concern and fear it brought to residents and passing motorists.