Police operation in Hagen: Passenger aims with a dummy submachine gun!

Police operation in Hagen: Passenger aims with a dummy submachine gun!

An incident caused a stir in the center of Cologne: On Saturday, June 14, 2025, police officers observed a white box truck while on patrol at the intersection of Feithstrasse and Boeler Strasse. The passenger pointed a deceptively real-looking submachine gun out of the window and even pointed the weapon at the police officers. This led to an immediate police operation in which the vehicle was stopped and the two occupants, a 49-year-old driver and a 28-year-old passenger, were handcuffed.

As the police reported on [polizei.news](https://polizei.news/2025/06/16/hagen-nrw-maschinen Pistolen-attrappe-sorge-fuer-polizeisatz-und-anzeigen/), the threatening weapon turned out to be nothing more than a dummy. Despite the serious situation, the passenger was unreasonable and justified his behavior by saying he was just joking. The police filed a complaint against him for violating the weapons law and threatening him. In addition, the passenger had already been listed for a whereabouts investigation.

Legal situation surrounding gun ownership

The incident sheds light on the current legal situation regarding weapons, which has become even stricter due to the changes to the weapons law that came into force in 2017. According to Section 58 Paragraph 8 of the Weapons Act, a weapons amnesty applies to illegally owned weapons and ammunition that require a license and was in force until July 1, 2018. During this time, people were able to hand over weapons to the relevant authorities with impunity without being punished for the illegal possession, as can be read on [polizei.nrw](https://polizei.nrw/artikel/bessere-aenderung-im- Waffengesetz-2017).

The legal requirements for storing weapons have also been tightened. Weapons must be stored in appropriate security containers that must meet specific standards. These provisions concern both weapons that require a license and weapons that do not require a license and are intended to ensure a high standard of safety.

Latest developments in gun law

With the new gun law coming into force on October 31, 2024, there will be further relevant changes. Appearing in person at the weapons authority is now only necessary in special cases, which could make the process easier for many. In addition, the authorities are now allowed to search for information in publicly available sources in order to check the reliability and personal suitability of gun owners, as can be seen from a publication on [vdb- Waffen.de](https://www.vdb- Waffen.de/de/service/nachrichten/aktuelle/25102024_was_kommen_da_auf_uns_zu.html).

A general ban on carrying weapons and knives at public events - regardless of the length of the blade - was also introduced. This should further increase security in our cities.

Overall, developments show that the issue of gun ownership and use remains an explosive and often contentious issue. The police will continue to remain vigilant to ensure the safety of citizens.