Police were called to Wagtail Close, Stapleford, on Saturday (17 May) night over concerns a potential firearm had been spotted.
The weapon in question was reportedly aimed towards a house before being fired at a garden fence, with a witness reporting the incident around 8.30pm.
Armed police arrived minutes later and conducted a search of the area, which resulted in them locating and detaining a suspect in nearby Baldry Gardens.
An imitation firearm – believed to be an airsoft-style handgun – was also found and seized from the surrounding area, along with quantities of cannabis.
A 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence and possessing a Class B drug.
Inspector Chris Chell, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“While the firearm seized in this incident didn’t prove to be a viable one, the person who reported it would’ve had no way of knowing that before they called us.
“Bearing in mind how serious it is for someone to carry a firearm and how dangerous that is, the public should rightfully expect an immediate and robust response from us to any reports of this nature.
“Taking this incident as an example, our officers were at the scene within minutes, identified a suspect and quickly confirmed what they’d been called about was an imitation firearm.
“This should serve as a warning to anyone who carries a BB gun, airsoft gun, or another type of imitation firearm in public that doing this will lead to swift action being taken by Nottinghamshire Police.”
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