Police Minister Paul Papalia says SWAT stripper with gel blaster gun an example of why they were banned in WA

The WA Police Minister says the bizarre case of a male stripper who sparked an emergency response when he was allegedly spotted in the Perth CBD with a gel blaster gun shows “exactly why” the firearms were outlawed.

Officers swarmed King Street about 2.40pm on Sunday after exotic dancer Chad Satchell allegedly flashed the tools of his trade on the way to work.

Mr Satchell, of Nollamara, had parked his car and removed a suitcase before dressing in a pair of boots, a black military-style mesh vest with SWAT written on the back, and placed a gel blaster gun that looked like an AR-15 assault rifle on the ground.

Shocked onlookers called police, fearing the firearm was real.

Police swooped on the 31-year-old only to find he was a stripper on his way to work.

It is believed Mr Satchell, who is the director of Fantasy Entertainment Australia, was performing the role of “sexy SWAT officer” for a party he was about to attend.

Mr Satchell was taken into custody and charged with possessing a prohibited weapon and being armed in a way that may cause fear.

The McGowan Government outlawed gel blasters, which are made to shoot water-filled pellets, last year.

At the time, Police Minister Paul Papalia said police were being diverted from their proper roles to attend called to hundreds of “active armed shooter” incidents across the country that involved the presence of gel blasters.

Following the incident on King Street, Mr Papalia on Monday said “this is exactly why we prohibited gel blasters in WA”.

“They are easily mistaken for dangerous firearms resulting in public fear and unnecessary diversion of police resources,” he said.

“In a worst-case scenario, someone wielding a gel blaster may be shot by a responding officer.

“Police have enough challenges confronting threats from real firearms without contending with gel blasters on our streets.”

A WA Police spokesman said the members of the public who called police “had genuine concerns for their safety and the safety of others”.

“The firearm in question looks very real and it would be very difficult for any member of the public to be able to determine whether it was in fact real or not,” he said.

The firearm was seized after the incident and subject to an examination.

Mr Satchell is due to appear in Perth Magistrates Court on September 1.