Man allegedly armed with gel blaster makes threats at Coomera Tavern

A night out at a Gold Coast pub took a tense turn when a man allegedly brandished what appeared to be a handgun, leading to a police standoff. Read what happened.

A man has allegedly brandished what appeared to be a handgun at a Gold Coast pub. Picture: Archive.

A Gold Coast home was cordoned off and a man forced to surrender after he allegedly enter a pub armed with a ‘gun’ and made threats to security staff.

Security at Coomera Tavern contacted police in the early hours of Saturday morning after a man had caused issues with other patrons and was removed from the premises.

“As he was ejected from the hotel, he lifted his shirt to reveal what looked like a handgun. He’s then made threats towards security,” Acting Gold Coast Chief Superintendent Peter Miles said.

“He got into an Uber and then left the location. Very concerning that someone feels the need that they’ve got to go to the pub with a gun tucked down their pants, and then even more concerning is the fact that they’re showing people and they’re making threats about it as well.”

The man was known to police and was identified through inquiries with staff and patrons at the tavern. Chief Superintendent Miles said officers attended a nearby address where they established a cordon, and called on the man to surrender.

“A subsequent search of that address then located a gel blaster, but in the shape of a handgun,” he said.

“For all intents and purposes, it looks the real deal, it weighs the right weight if you were to look at it, if it was pointed at you, you would think that a real gun is being pointed at you.”

A 27-year-old Coomera man was taken to the watchhouse where he was charged with possession of a weapon in a public place. He will face Southport Magistrates Court on June 13.

Originally published as Man allegedly armed with gel blaster makes threats at Coomera Tavern