U.S. police departments are posting pictures to social media sites of gun-shaped phone cases, along with warnings not to buy or use them for reasons that should be obvious. In a back pocket, the case looks like the grip of a pistol.
The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office in Tom's River, New Jersey, posted a picture this week of a gun-shaped iPhone case on Facebook, noting it's "not a cool product or a good idea."
U.S. police departments are posting pictures to social media sites of gun-shaped phone cases, along with warnings not to buy or use them for reasons that should be obvious. In a back pocket, the case looks like the grip of a pistol.
The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office in Tom's River, New Jersey, posted a picture this week of a gun-shaped iPhone case on Facebook, noting it's "not a cool product or a good idea."
"A police officer's job is hard enough, without having to make a split second decision in the dark of night when someone decides without thinking to pull this out while stopped for a motor vehicle violation," the post reads.
The New York City Police Department's 112 Precinct weighed in with a similar message on Twitter:
While authorities are advising people not to buy gun-shaped iPhone cases, they're still available for purchase on places like Amazon (for $4.99 a pop) and in Japan on Japan Trend Shop (for a hefty $49).
Reviewers on Amazon are urging the company to stop selling the cases, citing the dangers.
"I highly recommend that you remove this product from your website right now!" one review reads. "Your corporate attorneys will thank you, as will the law enforcement officers who might otherwise be put into a tragic and unnecessary lethal force situation."
The timing — why police are posting these images now — is unclear. A CNNMoney report indicates that the image was circling around private forums for cops.
The Ocean County Prosecutor's Department, the NYPD 112th Precinct and Amazon have yet to respond to Mashable's request for comment.
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