Detroit police are asking people to stop shooting up the city with paintballs.
Detroit Police Assistant Chief Arnold Williams says police responded to 95 paintball-related calls from residents this week. The trend started as #paintupgunsdown spread on social media. Williams says it was an idea with good intentions that turned sour.
“Its been groups that have been trying to come together and basically have paintball wars against one another,” Williams said. “But at the same time it’s been bleeding over.... We have other instances where paintballers are shooting at other property and other people who are not even involved with what they’re trying to do.
Williams says six people have been arrested related to paintball incidents this week. Among the collateral damage: two Detroit Police cars hit with paintballs, including an unmarked car shot with paintballs 11 times and splattered with the sticky paint. A 22-year-old man is facing misdemeanor charges related to paintballing.
Williams says it is a crime to shoot a paintball gun if you’re on a city street – he says some people have been shooting paintball guns from moving vehicles – and he says it’s a felony if you shoot an unknowing bystander with a paintball.
Williams says there will be additional police patrolling the city for paintball crimes this weekend.
“Their primary goal, starting actually tonight, is going to be to enforce those laws and to ensure that we don’t have any paintball incidents going on in the city,” Williams said.
