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9 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,O ctober 8,2020 insidehalton.com FALL BACK INTO ADVENTURE EVENT Halton police are warning the public about the use of replica weapons after a stu- dent film shoot in Oakville resulted in the police Tactical Rescue Unit being called on Saturday, Sept. 26. Police said in a news release the movie shoot created a "dangerous situation." At around 11:15 p.m., a witness called 911 after seeing a male victim being held at gun- point and forced into an apartment unit on Marlborough Court. Witnesses also report- ed seeing a hatchet and hearing screaming and yelling coming from the apartment. "Due to the nature of the information provided to police, our response was imme- diate, and included members of the Tactical Rescue Unit," said Const. Ryan Anderson, Halton Police media relations officer. "Officers were able to quickly de-esca- late the situation and take four males into custody without any physical injuries." Anderson said during a search of the apartment, officers located a prop handgun and a plastic hatchet. The arrested men explained to police that they were film students, and that the weapons and screaming and yelling had been part of a film shoot. Police said these individuals were re- leased and no charges will be laid. "Prop guns can be mistaken for genuine firearms by members of the public," said Anderson. "This poses potential risks for public safety, as police will respond to any report- ed incident under the assumption that the firearm is real and not authorized. While this particular incident ended safely, we would like to avoid a similar incident in the future." Anyone planning to film a movie or do a photography shoot that may appear suspi- cious to others is advised to contact police to notify them beforehand. This way if a member of the public calls 911, police will have prior knowledge of the filming event and be in a position to re- spond effectively and safely. Police said when filming in public, resi- dents should be sure to review any relevant filming policies and obtain proper filming permits from the town or city where the shoot is taking place. NEWS POLICE ISSUE WARNING AFTER FILM SHOOT RESULTS IN 911 CALL