JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (WSVN) — An off-duty deputy in Northern Florida said she was forced to fire on an eighteen-year-old after she mistook their water guns for real weapons. Now the community is warning of the risks accompanied with the popular game.
Bodycam video showcased the moments Nassau County deputies responded to a Jacksonville neighborhood back in February.
An 18-year-old was playing senior assassins, a popular water gun game, with another teen only moments earlier.
The goal is for participants to eliminate each other by squirting their targets with water guns.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement agent Jamie Pena explained to responding deputies that she believed one of the teens was carrying a real gun.
“She sees somebody on the Ring camera. I come outside, thinking there’s somebody checking doors. This kid is in between these two cars. He pops up, and all I can see is this,” she said. “I see no color. I drew my gun and shot because I thought I was about to be shot. I shot him in the arm, sorry.”
The teen suffered minor injuries.
Officer Pena administered medical aid until help arrived.
State Attorney Melissa Nelson has since called for the game to end, claiming it is outright dangerous.
“It might seem like a game, and certainly it seems fun to young kids, but the consequences could be deadly,” said Florida State Attorney Melissa Nelson.
Investigators have determined Officer Pena fired her weapon in self-defense, and thus neither she nor the teen shall face charges.
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