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On Nov. 19, deputies attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle for speeding. The passenger fled on foot but was captured seconds later. When searching the vehicle, a loaded Ruger 380, which appears to be spray painted blue like a toy, was found on the passenger-side floorboard.
“The gun was determined to be real and not a toy,” the department said. “We share this to highlight the inherent danger during calls for service involving firearms as deputies would have to make a split-second determination if this firearm was real or a toy. Also pictured is a standard Ruger 380 for comparison. We urge our community to be aware of situations like this and discourage citizens from painting firearms in this manner for everyone’s safety.”