Autistic child draws fake gun on family

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A 9-year-old child with autism, who was armed with what appeared at the time to be a real handgun, chased his family out of their home and forced police to form a perimeter in Beloit on Tuesday.

The City of Beloit Police Department said in a social media post that the child drew the gun in the 2700 block of Shopiere Road just after 4 p.m.

The rest of the child's family ran out of the home, as they did not know if the gun was real or not. The family members then were able to get back into the home and lock the child outside.

As police officers were setting up a perimeter, the child reportedly pointed the gun at the officers and told them to shoot the child. Police said in their report that at the the time, officers did not know if the gun was real, or if it was loaded.

Police say they were eventually able to resolve the incident using ballistic shields and less-lethal force, though no specifics were released.

Officers were then able to confirm that the gun was in fact a fake revolver, and are now investigating how the child obtained it.

The child, who was not injured, was taken to a local hospital for medical clearance and a mental health evaluation. The identity of the child will not be released.

Dense fog advisory! Damn!