Van Peebles and several key crew members were armed while shooting because it was dangerous to attempt to create a film without the support of the union. One day, Van Peebles looked for his gun, and couldn't find it. He later found out that someone had unknowingly put it in the prop box. When filming the scene in which Beetle is interrogated by police, who pop off a shot next to both of his ears, everyone feared that the real gun would be picked up instead of the prop. They ended up choosing correctly...

Another incident occurred while shooting a sequence with members of the Hells Angels. One of the bikers told Van Peebles they wanted to leave, and Van Peebles responded by telling them they were paid to shoot until the scene was over and that's what they're gonna do. The biker didn't like that too much. He took out a knife and started cleaning his fingernails with it in an act of intimidation. In response, Van Peebles snapped his fingers, and his strapped crew members were standing there with their sights aimed at the biker. Needless to say, all the bikers stayed to shoot the rest of the scene.