This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Los Angeles • College filmmakers were using fake guns to shoot a robbery scene at a suburban Los Angeles coffee shop when the movie took a scary twist that wasn't in the script.
Eight police officers were descending on the masked actors. The police were real, with very real guns drawn, and had no idea this was a movie.
"Drop the gun! Drop it! Drop it!" one officer yells on an audio recording police were carrying.
One of the actors immediately let go of his fake assault rifle. But another held onto his replica handgun, forcing officers to make a life-or-death choice. An officer knocked the gun from the actor's hand and handcuffed him, drawing a peaceful climax to what could have been something far worse.
Police said it showed the dangers of movie-making for amateur film crews that don't get permits and follow proper steps before taking to the streets.
Attempts to reach the film's director were unsuccessful. The students declined to tell police what college they were from.
The officers responded to the shop after receiving a 911 call from a woman who reported seeing an armed, masked gunman inside Classic Coffee in Glendora, a suburb east of Los Angeles that rarely sees Hollywood film crews.
Police said there was nothing to indicate a short movie was being shot.
The students were allowed to keep the fake weapons and weren't facing charges. They were given a lecture by officers about the dangers they created and went on their way.