SAN MATEO, Calif. —
A California police department is warning parents against buying their children a phone case that could cause trouble.
The case at first appears to be a gun. The case comes in different colors and the black one is especially realistic-looking, particularly when tucked into a pocket.
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About a week ago, a man who identified himself as a police officer shared this warning to his personal Facebook page: "As a police officer......please, please do not buy this or allow your children to have this new phone case! Hell, tell everyone you know, not just your kids!!"
The post went viral, being shared more than 176,000 times.
The San Mateo County Deputy Sheriff's Association echoed the warning on Oct. 1.
"Please do not purchase or let your children purchase this cell phone case. Although a novelty, it will create unwanted scrutiny from law enforcement for whoever uses it," the post reads. "Regular citizens will see it and call 911 and then law enforcement will respond accordingly for a subject with a gun call."
In February, a Florida high school was placed on lockdown after a student reported seeing a classmate with a gun in his pocket. DeLand police responded and found it was not a gun at all, but a phone case fashioned to look like a gun.
