The media periodically goes through some hysteria about either toy guns that look real or real guns that look like toys. The concern is that a police officer will mistake the toy for a real gun and shoot a child, or in the case of a real gun painted to look like a toy the officer will disregard the real threat.
This whole thought process is flawed. If the police have a “gun equals shoot” mindset then the police are going to end up shooting children, armed and unarmed private citizens, detectives, and undercover officers. When an object is mistaken for being a gun it will also produce the same result. Identifying an object in someones hand especially in a fast moving environment with unpredictable lighting conditions is a tricky proposition. The police should not identify objects, they should identify behavior.
Similarly, the real gun camouflaged to look like a toy is actually a non-issue. The idea that a real gun is going to mis-identified as a toy and the police are some how going to slack-off is not credible. Someone who is exhibiting threatening behavior is probably a threat, regardless of if the object in their hands is black or pink. Posture, movement, or gestures consistent with employing a weapon and failure to comply with verbal commands is a pretty good indicator.
If you exhibit behavior consistent with making a deadly force threat an armed defender is probably going to shoot you. If in the heat of the moment a suspect decides to bluff the cops and quick draws his cell phone, wallet, or even stuffs a hand in pocket he will probably be treated like an immediate deadly threat.
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