An Australian police officer said he’s still traumatized after a colleague pointed a gun at his head for jokingly threatening to spoil the plot of “Top Gun: Maverick.” Morgan Royston experienced shock and fear” as a result of Constable Dominic Gaynor’s actions, with the latter admitting threatening his junior colleague with his weapon over the movie, The Guardian reports.
Morgan Royston was on desk duty at the time of the incident.
In May 2023, Royston, 30, was working at a police station in Sydney’s city center. He began talking about the latest “Top Gun” movie, which he’d seen the night before. That’s when Gaynor instructed him not to spoil the movie, to which Royston jokingly replied, I’ll spoil it for you.”
That’s when Gaynor became agitated, saying again, “Don’t spoil the movie, [expletive].” He then took his Glock out of its holster and pointed it at Royston’s head, though he did not place his finger on the trigger.
Royston says his entire life has changed because of Gaynor’s actions.
During Gaynor’s sentencing hearing at Sydney’s Downing Centre court on Thursday, November 9, he told the judge that while that day was “initially unremarkable,” he couldn’t have foreseen what was going to happen or how it would affect him.
“I had no idea that the course of my life was about to change forever,” Royston said. “Suddenly, I was staring down the front of a loaded police pistol.”
For months after, he experienced extreme anxiety and was in a state of hypervigilance. He said that he fell into a depression and regularly dreamed about being shot. While he had “a desire not to break the police brotherhood of dobbing on another colleague,” he ultimately felt he had to report Gaynor.
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Now, Morgan Royston has no faith in the force he once admired.
“I completely lost the trust and admiration I had for the NSW Police force,” Royston told the court. “I thought I would be safe around my trained colleagues… it’s put the permanent fear of harm into my mind.”
He left the force after the incident in question.
Gaynor pleaded guilty to carrying a firearm in a manner likely to injure a person. His attorney, Chris Micali, admitted Gaynor had done wrong but said he was otherwise a “fantastic” officer.
He was given a Community Corrections Order for two years, 100 hours of community service, and a criminal record. He remains suspended without pay from the NSW Police, according to ABC.
