Newton, NC — Police in North Carolina found a real gun disguised as a Nerf toy while conducting a drug raid in Catawba County, north of Charlotte, this week. The Glock 19 pistol, along with a 50-round drum magazine, had been painted blue and orange and labeled with the Nerf logo to look like a toy, the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release on Facebook.
The firearm was among 20 guns — pistols, rifles and shotguns — that investigators found during the home search Wednesday, along with cocaine, psilocybin mushrooms and marijuana. Police also seized about $2,300 in cash.
A press release from the department stated: “Firearms of this type, while not illegal to possess, are concerning to law enforcement… Firearms, in general, are commonly seized in conjunction with searches where felony amounts of narcotics are present.”
However, firearms disguised as toys should be alarming for various reasons since they can be mistaken by police and children and pose tragic consequences.
Damien Alonzo Burch, 35, of Catawba was arrested and charged with felonious possession of cocaine, felonious possession of mushrooms and misdemeanor possession of marijuana, the release said. Burch was released on a $20,000 unsecured bond on Wednesday.
The press release from the department is below:
On Wednesday, March 17, 2021, Narcotics Investigators with the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, Hickory Police Department and the Newton Police Department executed a search warrant at a residence on Old Catawba Road in Catawba, N.C. Investigators searched this residence after gathering evidence of narcotics possession at that location.
During this search investigators seized quantities of cocaine, psilocybin mushrooms and marijuana. Investigators also seized approximately $2,300.00 in United States Currency and twenty firearms consisting of pistols, rifles and shotguns.
One of these weapons, a converted Glock model 19 pistol with a fifty round drum magazine, had been altered to resemble a toy Nerf gun. Firearms of this type, while not illegal to possess, are concerning to law enforcement. Firearms, in general, are commonly seized in conjunction with searches were felony amounts of narcotics are present.
Damien Alonzo Burch (35 yoa) a Catawba resident, was arrested and charged with felonious possession of cocaine, felonious possession of mushrooms and misdemeanor possession of marijuana. Burch was issued a $20,000.00 unsecured bond and had a first appearance in Catawba County District Court on 03/18/2021.
Sheriff Brown: “Another success resulting from our area Narcotics Teams working together. Our agencies pooling their resources allows for a greater impact to be felt county wide”.
