Ward 1 Alderman Ron Johnson said parents need to be careful about letting their children have toy guns that could be mistaken for the real thing.
Johnson said he recently encountered a child with a bb pistol that he initially believed was a firearm.
“This little guy was pointing it at every car that went by so I took it from him and gave it to his uncle,” Johnson said. “On Friday when I went out to the park, there was a kid out there with what looked like a rifle.”
Johnson said he can see how a police officer might believe a child has an actual gun.
“I think about that incident that happened a while back in another city where a police officer shot a kid because it looked like the kid had a real gun,” Johnson said. “It turned out to be a bb pistol.”
In 2014 police officers in Cleveland, Ohio shot a 12-year-old boy who had a toy gun that appeared to be real. They were responding to a call reporting a person with a gun in a public park.
Johnson said he hopes parents will recognize the potential danger realistic toy guns or bb guns pose.
“I just want parents to think before they buy their kids these guns,” Johnson said. “Please think before you do it.”
In other business during Monday’s Mayor and Board of Aldermen meeting.
Building Inspector Russ Carter said he will issue the building permit for a Sonic restaurant to be constructed on Jerry Clower Boulevard this week.
A resident who lives on Calhoun Avenue complained that a recent storm caused a tree to fall on her property. She said she contacted the city and was told that the city couldn’t do anything about it.
She said she later saw city workers cutting up a tree in front of another home on Calhoun Avenue, however.
“The city street department was there cutting up the tree and hauling it away,” she said. “I asked them why they were doing it because they told me that they couldn’t do anything about my tree. I’m aware that the sidewalk is city property, but they were all in the yard. I have pictures and everything.”
Ward 3 Alderman Rev. Gregory Robertson said residents need to make a report to city hall when they have trees blown down by storms that they believe are the city’s responsibility.
“Make a claim at the city clerk’s office,” Robertson said. “Start the process there.”
A resident on Sunset Drive said that in addition to the major erosion problem on the street that has been discussed during recent meetings, a new erosion problem is developing in front of her home. She said there is also overgrowth in the area that forces drivers to move to the other side of the street.
“It is eroding, and I just wanted to ask y’all to please consider getting that fixed,” she said.
Police Chief Andre Lloyd said his officers will be participating in the Click it or Ticket campaign along with law enforcement agencies across the state during the Memorial Day weekend.
Public Works Director Danny Miller reported that the city’s street sweeper has been repaired and will be running now after a period of inactivity.
Delaware noted that the Yaz Fourth of July Festival featuring fireworks, music and other activities will be held on July 1-3 in Yazoo City.
