Politie #PRO247 - Assistentie politiehelikopter bij BTGV

On the A16 highway, officers received a report of a black BMW, the driver of which was holding a firearm. The alert caller continued to follow the vehicle and continuously reported its position. The control room deployed units along the highway, and the police helicopter also came to assist. After officers in a civilian car spotted the vehicle, officers in recognizable police cars approached the scene and initiated a BTGV procedure. This stands for Dangerous Suspect Approach Technique. No risks were taken in this procedure. Officers approached the vehicle and its occupants with drawn service weapons, and any suspicious movement would be detected and shots fired. After arresting all occupants, it turned out to be a fake firearm. As is often the case, the fake weapon was indistinguishable from a real one. The driver and front passenger were each offered and paid a €250 fine. The message of this story and this video, as part of the campaign, is to highlight the danger of fake firearms. As police, we can't take any risks when a firearm is reported and always assume a real firearm is involved. We may even have to fire warning shots or, in the worst-case scenario, take targeted shots if someone refuses to put down the weapon. Sometimes it turns out to be a fake firearm, but you can't tell from a distance. Fake firearms are extremely dangerous!