POLICE FACE PHONY GUN; 2ND TIME THIS MONTH

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, January 21, 1992                   TAG: 9201210328
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RON BROWN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short
POLICE FACE PHONY GUN; 2ND TIME THIS MONTH
A 24-year-old man was charged Sunday with brandishing a pellet gun at a police officer, the second time this month that Roanoke police have been confronted by firearm look-alikes.
Police said officer L.T. Craddock was on patrol in the 600 block of 4th Street Southeast shortly after 11:30 p.m. when he saw two men walking along the street.
As the officer passed, one of the men crouched and pointed a pistol at Craddock, who immediately turned around his police cruiser.
After another officer arrived, they stopped the two men and searched them, but found no gun. One of the men later told police that he threw the gun into some bushes.
Police found a pellet gun lying beside the sidewalk.
Jeffrey Scott Craighead of the 300 block of Dale Avenue Southeast was charged with brandishing a firearm.
Earlier this month, a 12-year-old boy held a Roanoke patrolman at bay with a cap pistol.
The latest incident was at least the fourth time in a year that city police officers have been confronted by people with non-lethal pistols.
Although some toy manufacturers have started making guns with components in neon colors, officers may have trouble distinguishing them, particularly at night.
Police officials worry that if the trend continues, someone may get shot or a police officer may be slow in reacting when confronted with a real weapon.
No one has been shot to date.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB