Berlin police seize cannon made for launching coconuts

March 16 (UPI) -- Berlin police announced they seized an artist's homemade cannon after a coconut launched by the device narrowly missed hitting a dog walker.

Police said in a Facebook post that a man taking a dog for a walk March 1 in an industrial area of the German capital heard a loud bang followed by the sight of a large projectile whizzing past him at a high speed.

Investigators determined the projectile was a coconut that had been launched from a cannon created by a 23-year-old artist. Police shared photos of the device in the Facebook post.

The artist, Julian Charriere, said the coconut cannon was created for an art project in Antarctica and that he had wanted to test it before shipping.

Police said they impounded the cannon and that prosecutors are investigating whether it violates Germany's arms control laws.