When you’re looking for a case for your smartphone, what kind of considerations come to mind? Do you want a cool design that feels good in the hand, or something rugged to protect your device from serious knocks and scrapes? If storage and power is an issue, you’ll likely opt for something like this, though if you’re one for handling your phone in the shower, a waterproof number is sure to appeal.
For one iPhone user in the U.K. recently, it was none of the above. His idea was to put his handset in a case shaped like a gun, a decision that, perhaps not surprisingly, landed him in a whole load of trouble.
With strict gun control laws already in place in the U.K., even walking the streets with this thing is certain to attract the attention of law enforcement. But this guy took it one step further and carried it with him to a place with strict security – an international airport.
You have a split second decision to make … #WhatWouldYouDo #joblikenoother #AirportCops pic.twitter.com/qxiq7OxXjQ
— Essex Police STN (@EssexPoliceSTN) July 6, 2016
So it was no surprise he was quickly arrested. The incident took place earlier this week at Stansted airport, just north of London.
“This is what was in the back pocket … An iPhone case,” Essex police tweeted alongside an image of the accessory. “Someone decided to put themselves in such a situation today.”
In another tweet, a cop suggested that the guy with the gun-shaped case was lucky not to have found himself staring down the barrel of a real gun after his device was spotted. “You have a split decision to make,” the tweet said alongside the hashtag #WhatWouldYouDo.
Cops said the man at the center of the security scare may be charged with a public order offense or for carrying an imitation firearm in a public space.
The same accessory hit the headlines in Canada last year when it caused panic on a beach in Manitoba, Canada.
“Some people do not realize the risks associated with openly carrying or displaying these replicas in a public space,” a cop who responded to the incident said at the time. “Anyone who owns this type or similar devices should safely dispose of them immediately.”
Shortly before the incident, DT wrote a piece on the gun-shaped accessory titled, “Could this be the worst iPhone case ever invented?” What do you think?
