POLICE WEAPONS SEARCH AT LJO FACILITY TURNS UP: A WATER PISTOL

Littleton (LJO2), June 20 -- Armed Littleton police surrounded the DEC LJO2 facility this morning around 9:30, evacuated the building, and conducted a search of the office areas, because a security guard had reported seeing an employee carrying an Uzi submachine gun. The result of the search: a battery-operated water pistol.

The first indication that the fire alarm didn't signify a mere fire drill was a security guard frantically trying to prevent people from leaving by the rear fire doors. Those who did exit at the rear found armed Littleton police at each rear corner of the building.

The officer in charge of the search spoke to this reporter and asked him what he thought was happening. When the reporter said "My guess would be a drug search," the officer replied "You're totally wrong. There are WEAPONS involved."

A group of employees standing nearby overheard this and suddenly burst out laughing "I'll bet it's the Uzis." Several engineers had purchased water pistols shaped like Uzi submachine guns and had brought them into the building. This at first facetious theory was, much to everyone's delight, confirmed when the officer heading the search walked out the front door holding a water pistol under a towel.

The water pistol, sold by Edmund Scientific, a New Jersey mail order firm, is a plastic, battery-operated replica of an Uzi submachine gun. It is reported to be very popular among software engineers in the personal computer industry. "That sucker shoots almost 25 feet", said the owner of the gun, "I hope I can get it back."

Thu 20-Jun-1985 10:47 EDT, Larry Campbell, who was consulting at that facility on the fateful day