Final answer:
Robbery with a toy gun is a felony because it's the victim's perception of the threat that matters. The described scenario is akin to the prisoner's dilemma in game theory, where the police strategy is aimed at getting suspects to turn on each other.
Step-by-step explanation:
Robbery while "armed" with a toy gun is indeed considered a felony in many jurisdictions. This is because during a robbery, the key factor is how the victim perceives the threat. If an individual believes they are in real danger due to what appears to be a genuine gun, the perpetrator's use of a toy gun can still constitute armed robbery. This scenario could also relate to the broader concept of deterrence in criminal law, where the police's approach during interrogations is aimed to encourage one suspect to disclose information about the other. The scenario described seems to invoke a strategic situation similar to the "prisoner's dilemma," which is a common example in game theory and related to legal strategies for plea bargaining. In the prisoner's dilemma, the best outcome for both suspects individually is to defect, even though this may lead to a worse combined outcome. This is because each individual's dominant strategy is to minimize their own potential punishment without regard for the co-suspect's outcome.