Teen arrested, accused of threatening RTD passengers with airsoft gun

LAKEWOOD, Colo. (KDVR) — A 19-year-old is in police custody and facing eight different charges after allegedly threatening people at a Regional Transportation District station with an airsoft gun.

Police in Lakewood responded to Oak Station, located at 1311 Oak St., just before 1:30 p.m. Sunday. When agents arrived, they found a man and a weapon that matched the description shared with dispatchers.

“We received a call of a male at the light rail station who was harassing people all around the light rail station and saying he had a gun. He showed a gun to one man who he got into an argument with,” said John Romero, Lakewood Police Department public information officer.

According to an arrest affidavit obtained by FOX31, the man was making threats both on the train and at the platform.

“It turns out it was actually an airsoft gun, but by any means, looking at it, it looked exactly even like one of the guns that some of our agents use,” Romero said, adding: “It had a tactical light on it, much like you would see with police officers. So situations like this, it’s very dangerous for everybody involved.”

The department posted images on social media comparing the airsoft gun to a real gun.

“Hard to tell these two weapons apart isn’t it? Imagine seeing it from 30 feet away. Would you be able to tell the difference?” the department posted.

“The threat is real, doesn’t matter what kind of weapon, he was still menacing them and threatening them,” Romero said.

The affidavit said the man was kicking the door and hitting his head on the window when he got in the back of a patrol car, causing damage and leading to another of the eight charges he faces.

He was booked into jail on charges including menacing, assault, endangering utility transmission and public transportation, bias-motivated intimidation fear and more.

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