Does an armed robbery need to be committed with a real weapon?

An armed robbery does not have to be committed with a real weapon; it can involve a fake weapon or something that closely resembles a real firearm. The key factor in defining armed robbery is the offender's use of a weapon to instill fear, thereby threatening the victim and forcing compliance during the commission of the crime. If a fake weapon is used effectively to create a genuine fear in the victim that they are in danger, it satisfies the legal criteria for armed robbery.

Law enforcement and courts often focus on the perception of the victim and the context of the crime rather than the actual authenticity of the weapon itself. Therefore, the presence of a fake or replica weapon can still fulfill the criteria for an armed robbery charge, as long as it is capable of intimidating the victim and creating a sense of imminent danger.