Police called when man cleans rifle on Seattle school district property

SEATTLE — Seattle police were called Tuesday afternoon when security at an elementary school saw a man on an encampment outside who was cleaning what looked like a rifle outside his tent.

When officers responded and spoke with the man, he said he was cleaning his pellet gun and he allowed officers to search his tent to confirm that it was an airsoft rifle.

The man explained to the police that he uses the airsoft rifle to kill rats that are around his tent at night because the trash surrounding his tent is on Seattle School District property.

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Airsoft rifles often look very much like a real rifle, particularly at a distance.

Officers explained to him that he appeared to be a possibly armed man outside a school.

The man said he understood why there was an urgent police response.

The man was released at the scene.

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