Handgun-shaped lighter prompts police response in New Westminster

At 1p.m. on April 21, a member of the public reported to the front counter of the New Westminster Police Department that they had seen someone on Clarkson Street who appeared to be carrying a handgun. Shortly after, a 9-1-1 call was made describing a similar individual with a black firearm.

Officers quickly located a man matching the description on Clarkson Street and deployed an NWPD drone to assess the situation more closely. Drone footage allowed officers to determine that the object in question was actually a butane lighter designed to resemble a handgun. The use of the drone helped prevent what could have been a more extensive and higher-risk police response.

Sergeant Andrew Leaver noted that these types of realistic-looking lighters continue to generate emergency calls, warning that displaying an item resembling a firearm in public can pose serious risks to both the individual and others nearby.

Police spoke with the man about the concern caused by the item, and he voluntarily surrendered the lighter for disposal. Authorities say such items are often mistaken for real weapons, leading to urgent police responses and potentially escalating situations.