The Cloquet Police Department is issuing an alert about a Nerf War game that was planned to begin today, May 16 in the community.  The official statement includes the following:

Many consider “Nerf wars” a competitive sport or activity involving Nerf Blasters or other foam-firing toy weapons. The object of the game is to eliminate the other players or teams by “killing” them by “shooting” them with a Nerf dart.

The Cloquet Police Department urges all participants to use common sense when participating in these types of games, keeping in mind that many citizens in the community are unaware of these events.

Players who chase another player into businesses or other common places in the community while drawing, pointing and firing a dart from a toy gun at another player may cause alarm and result in unexpected reactions by others, including a call for police response.

Other communities have reported players entering other players’ houses, unannounced and unplanned, to shoot the player while they were sleeping. This presents great risks as other family members may be unaware of such a game occurring, and many own [real] guns for protections from burglaries or other crimes. Not only could the action be unlawful; the potential for an unintended response from someone inside the house or by law enforcement is high.

If you are stopped or confronted by law enforcement, you should keep your hands visible and do not make any sudden movements that may cause the officer to believe you are reaching for a weapon that could harm them.

As innocent as these games may be, we encourage parents to talk with their children about the dangers associated with these types of activities. It is the goal of the Cloquet Police Department to spread public awareness and safety to all members of our community.

 

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