Canada:Gun-shaped bottle causes stir with Police

Talk about tequila shooters.

Cops are pledging to hammer down hard on anyone else dumb enough to point at them with a new tequila bottle shaped like an old-school gangster gun.

The warning comes after a man was arrested for doing so Friday night and as dozens of crates of Tommy Guns tequila bottles - shaped like Thompson submachine-guns - arrive at Edmonton liquor stores this week.

Retailers expect the sought-after bottles will sell even faster because of the publicity generated by Friday's incident.

Jessie Petrin, 24, was charged with possession of an imitation weapon after a similar bottle was aimed at a cop near 118 Avenue and 135A Street.

"You don't want to pull one of these out late at night when it's dark, especially in front of a police officer. People need to use common sense when buying novelty items like this," said EPS Staff Sgt. Jeff Anderson.
"We had to send in tactical officers ... it's a huge waste of resources and it's a dangerous game."

Anderson's suggestion is clear: people who point gun-shaped things at police risk getting shot by police.

"If people are going to point these things around and tie up valuable police resources we're going to take action. They'll face criminal charges and a criminal record."

Jim Pettinger owns Sherbrooke Liquor, 11819 St. Albert Tr., not far from where Friday's bottle-gun incident took place.

"It's been selling very well, but it's a shame to hear some people are so irresponsible with it," he said of the $85 bottles.

Whyte Avenue Tops Liquor store owner Rick Aggarwal said customers began asking about Tommy Guns soon after news of the Petrin charge broke.

"I'm expecting a shipment Friday. They'll sell," he said.

Tommy Guns tequila is marketed by Chicago-based Alphonse Capone Enterprises, who specialize in 1920s-themed products.

Vodka Kalashnikov is another spirit sold in a provocative bottle - shaped for its namesake AK-47 assault rifle and packaged in a gun crate.

Alberta Gaming and Liquor officials don't regulate bottle styles, but expect drinkers to use common sense.

"With products like these our advice would be not to point them at people. Especially police," said department spokesman Marilyn Carlyle-Helmse.