PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) — Less than a week after Trinidad and Tobago’s Police Commissioner, Erle Harewood-Christopher, urged members of the public to refrain from using any item that projects objects or mimics the appearance of a weapon, two men have been arrested and two “gel blaster” toy guns seized.

In a statement, the police said that the men were arrested and the two gel blaster guns resembling that of firearms, seized following a police-involved shooting incident on Sunday.

They said law enforcement officers were responding to a report of six men being observed with firearms in Cunupia in Central Trinidad on Sunday and conducted a search of the area.

“Officers subsequently observed two men dressed in dark clothing with objects resembling firearms in their possession running in their direction. The officers made known their presence to the men and instructed them to drop the weapons.

“One of the men allegedly fired the said object at the officers, who in keeping with the Use of Force Policy, fired back in the direction of the assailant. The men dropped to the ground and were arrested, while gel blaster guns were seized,” according to the police statement, adding that investigations are continuing.

Last, month, Harewood-Christopher, warned that the gel blaster toy guns as well as the possession of imitation firearms and other projectile-based items pose a “potential threat to public safety”.

“Whilst gel blasters may be marketed as toys, the models that closely resemble real firearms are prohibited. Furthermore, the indiscriminate use of such devices, especially in public spaces or towards unsuspecting individuals, is dangerous and poses a threat to public safety,” Harewood-Christopher said in a statement, expressing her concerns surrounding the misuse of these toys.

She reminded the public then that “using any item, whether real or imitation, to threaten, intimidate, or harm others constitutes a criminal offence under the laws of Trinidad and Tobago”.

“If sufficient evidence exists proving that individuals are engaged in such acts, they may face severe legal repercussions, including criminal charges. Officers have been alerted to this danger, and are mandated to act decisively,” she said.

Last year, Trinidad and Tobago recorded more than 600 murders with guns accounting for a majority of the killings.