Toying around gets two, including teen, charged with assault

Have you ever done something that you thought was funny in the moment only to realize later that maybe the joke went a bit too far? It’s not an uncommon occurrence among children and teenagers. A teenager in Maryland is facing a pretty harsh reality following what he likely thought was a mere gag.

According to WBAL Baltimore, police arrested two suspects on Wednesday after getting a disturbing call from a motorist in Westminster. She reported that she had been driving next to another vehicle when one of the men inside the car pointed what looked like a rifle at her. Police found the car and apprehended the two inside. They are now facing assault charges.

The two defendants were in a Buick, that the woman was right about. However, no one was actually pointing a rifle at her — at least not a real rifle. Upon investigation of the matter, police found that the so-called rifle that the woman reported being threatened by was actually a toy gun.

Toy or not, the two suspects are still facing criminal charges. The driver in the car, 23, is charged with second-degree assault and reckless endangerment. The other suspect in the car was only 17 years old.

When a minor gets involved with the criminal justice system, it serves his best interest to be treated as a juvenile. In this case, the system is charging the teen as a juvenile. Avoiding adult charges generally means that juveniles will get a better chance at rehabilitation and staying out of the system in the future.

Source
WBAL Baltimore: “Police: 2 Arrested After Pointing Fake Rifle At Driver,” Jan. 11, 2012