An Australian police officer has been sentenced for pointing his gun at a colleague who threatened to spoil the Top Gun: Maverick movie.
According to court records, Sydney Police Constable Dominic Francis Gaynor jokingly told a colleague who had seen the Tom Cruise film, “Don't spoil the movie, c***” and “I'll shoot you."
The records, seen by ABC, state that PC Gaynor took his Glock out of its holster and pointed it at his colleague for “five seconds” during the incident in May.
“The offender's finger was on the receiver and not the trigger. The offender was laughing throughout this incident,” the records state.
PC Gaynor pleaded guilty to carrying a firearm with disregard for the complainant's safety and received a two-year good behaviour bond and a conviction.
In quotes reported by ABC, the victim Morgan Royston told New South Wales’s Downing Centre Local Court: “I have completely lost the trust I had and my admiration for the NSW Police Force.
"When I see a police officer now, I feel compelled to watch them and check their hand is not on their firearm."
The 26-year-old has since left the force.
PC Gaynor's counsel Chris Micali said his client made an awful mistake but that he had not intended to intimidate.
“This is a case where the skylarking and tomfoolery in an employment context has gone awry," Mr Micali told the court.
He added: “This is going to cost him dearly."
The officer, who remains suspended without pay, could now lose his job, he said.
Top Gun: Maverick is a sequel to the 1986 cult classic film starring Cruise, and was one of the highest-grossing films at the box office in 2022.
