When police do a drugs raid, there’s usually a pretty big chance that they’re also going to seize weapons in addition to illegal narcotics and other substances. However, investigators with Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, Hickory Police Department and the Newton Police Department in North Carolina made a unique discovery during a recent raid on a property near Charlotte last week: a real Glock 19 pistol fashioned to look like a toy Nerf gun.
- It was supposed to look innocent. Not only had the pistol, which was discovered along with a 50-round drum magazine, painted Nerf’s classic orange and blue colors, it even had a logo on it to make it look like a toy. Of course, it stuck out like a sore thumb amidst the collection of 20 other weapons police seized during the raid.
- It’s good these weapons are now off the street. The Catawba County Sheriff’s Office shared the results of the raid on their Facebook page on March 18, writing: “During this search, investigators seized quantities of cocaine, psilocybin mushrooms and marijuana. Investigators also seized approximately $2,300.00 in United States Currency and twenty firearms consisting of pistols, rifles, and shotguns. One of these weapons, a converted Glock model 19 pistol with a fifty round drum magazine, had been altered to resemble a toy Nerf gun. Firearms of this type, while not illegal to possess, are concerning to law enforcement. Firearms, in general, are commonly seized in conjunction with searches were felony amounts of narcotics are present.”
- They made an arrest while they were there. Catawba resident Damien Alonzo Burch, 35, was arrested at the scene and charged with ” felonious possession of cocaine, felonious possession of mushrooms and misdemeanor possession of marijuana.” He was given a $20,000 bond and made his first court appearance that same day.
- The Sheriff’s office is pleased with itself for such a big find. As they should be! “Another success resulting from our area Narcotics Teams working together. Our agencies pooling their resources allows for a greater impact to be felt county-wide,” Sheriff Brown said in a statement.
