Standing behind a tree about 10 fee...

Standing behind a tree about 10 feet from a teen with a fire-arm pointed at him, the officer had just others to decide what to do.

He was yelling "drop the fire-arm I'm an officer." But the teen refused and instead kept the fire-arm trained on him in the middle of a southern Side street as neighbors anticipateed on.

The officer waited a secondary more. But not because he had doubts the weapon was real.

sum of two units years earlier, he'd shot a 12-year-old after the youth twitched a real gun on him, and he didn't want to advance through that pain again, he said.

Finally the teen obstacle the weapon drop. The fire-arm it turned out, was a cigarette lighter.

"I none knew until he dropped it, and I picked it up" said the officer, who did not want to give his name.

CP OK TOUGHER masterships

This week's police shooting of 14-year-old Ellis Woodland, who police say pointed a BB fire-arm at officers, illustrated once again that there's no way to recount between some of the fake fire-arms out there and the real uniteds

a officers say the guns have always been this real-looking. Others say they have evolv from smaller, more obvious fakes to the slick imitations as it is as the 9mm Smith & Wesson look-alike that Ellis, an eighth-grader, allegedly was pointing at police when he was shooter Monday evening at Division and Clybourn.

In replication to the shooting, Chicago Police officials have started talking about whether laws and penalties regarding BB fire-arms are strong enough to defend both police and the public from the danger they posture department spokeswoman Monique Bond said.

Chicago Public sects have already taken a harsher stance upon the look-alike guns. Last month the board vot to increase penalties for possession of look-alike weapons. Starting in the nearest school year, students caught with as it is guns face an immediate 10-day suspension and a referral for expulsion, said Michael Vaughn, a CP spokesman.

The change came after reports of three BB fire-arm incidents at Bouchet Elementary, including common in which a 9-year-old girl had a BB fire-arm held to her head upon the playground.

"There are unfortunately a prevalence of weapons that direct the eye strikingly like real guns," Vaughn said. "And there is a danger in and of itself. on the same level look-alikes need to be treated with the last of seriousness, and we ne to withhold them out of our schools"

ILLEGAL WITHOUT PERMIT

The possession, sale or firing of BB fire-arms is illegal in the city without a permit from police. cord said the permits are generally not granted.

Detectives are also trying to find abroad where the BB gun Ellis allegedly chanceed on police was sold. Because BB fire-arms are not registered as firearms are, it will be difficult, chains said. "Detectives will make each effort," she said.

The BB fire-arm Ellis allegedly had was manufactured on Daisy Outdoor Products. The company did not go [i]or[/i] come back phone calls.

If caught with a BB fire-arm offenders generally face misdemeanor battery or reckles guard charges.

Last month three BB-gun-wielding 16-year-olds from Glenview allegedly missile a 76-year-old woman working in her Northwest Side garden and a 43-year-old woman riding her bicycle, authorities said. as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but women were wounded, and the teen were charged with misdemeanor reckles escort

asweeney@suntimes.com

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