A heated argument at the Chevron on North De Anza Boulevard in Cupertino briefly turned into a gun scare Friday, ending with West Valley deputies arresting a driver and seizing what turned out to be an airsoft Glock, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.
In a Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office update, officials said deputies were dispatched after a caller reported that a man had pulled a handgun during an argument at the station. Deputies quickly spotted and stopped a white Ford Mustang nearby. The driver put his hands out the window and was taken into custody. The man told deputies the gun was a replica, and the realistic-looking airsoft Glock was collected as evidence.
How deputies handled the stop
The Sheriff’s Office said its West Valley Patrol Division, which provides contract policing for Cupertino, handled the call. Deputies pulled over the Mustang a short distance from the Chevron and took the driver into custody. No injuries were reported.
Why replica firearms are a safety concern
Replica and airsoft-style guns can look nearly identical to real firearms, a problem that has led to deadly encounters elsewhere, including a 2025 Boyle Heights case reported by the Los Angeles Times. Incidents like that are a big reason officers treat reports of guns as immediate threats and approach these scenes with extreme caution.
The Sheriff’s Office has not said whether the man arrested in the Chevron incident was booked or what charges, if any, he might face. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office through its online contact page.
