IMPERSONATING A POLICE OFFICER
Road Ragin' Miami-Dade Firefighter Arrested for Impersonating Miami-Dade Police Officer
In all fairness, Miami-Dade firefighter Osvaldo Alvarez did a pretty good job impersonating a local police officer, right down to the being-a-bit-corrupt details, but it wasn't good enough to get away from actual local cops.
Alvarez, 52, was booked yesterday for impersonating an officer, burglary and battery. According to CBS Miami, the firefighter was driving along SW 81st Avenue yesterday when he caught a bad case of road rage. Alvarez yelled at a driver next to him that he needed "to drive better." The other driver flipped Alvarez off, as is customary in Miami-Dade County, but Alvarez couldn't let he go. He then followed the other driver into a nearby parking lot. Alvarez got out of his truck and approached the other driver. The driver apologized after rolling the car window down, but that wasn't good enough for Alvarez. He grabbed the other driver's hand and sniped, "I could arrest you for trying to run me over."
At the time Alvarez was wearing a Miami-Dade Police t-shirt. Witnesses claim that Alvarez identified himself numerous times as a police officer. When real officers arrived they quickly discovered that Alvarez was not indeed a cop, but a firefighter. He was arrested and is being held on a hefty $28,000 bond. Prosecutors noted that Alvarez was also charged with impersonation back in 2002.
Mobile County Sheriff's Deputies Arrested Jeffrey Melton Morris For Impersonating A Police Officer
MOBILE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY HAS DROP ALL CHARGES AGAINST
JEFFREY MELTON MORRIS
Mobile County Constable Jeffrey Milton Morris, 46 was elected by the people as constable for Precinct 21 in the Tanner Williams area and was arrested for impersonating a police officer Wednesday night July 11, 2018 after he allegedly tried to arrest someone unlawfully.
According to the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office, Jeffrey Melton Morris was arrested around 9 p.m., on charges of unlawful imprisonment and impersonating a peace officer.
He has since been released from the Mobile County Metro Jail after posting bail. It’s not Morris’ first run-in with local law enforcement, though. Court records indicate he was charged with three counts of domestic violence last year. Police said Morris allegedly assaulted two women on Aug. 3, 2017, both of whom claimed to be his girlfriend, and is now engaged to one of the two females at this time.
He was also previously charged with assault in 2003 and received a DUI in 2009. According to MCSO spokeswoman Lori Myles, Morris pulled a motorist over who he claimed was “following too close” and contacted the MCSO back up on the traffic violation. According to deputies, Morris initially lied and claimed he only “blinked the headlights” on his marked vehicle to initiate the traffic stop denying that his vehicle was equipped with blue lights. However, when deputies asked to see his lights, Morris changed his story. He confessed to having blue lights and told police he’d used them during this traffic stop. The man Morris pulled over was Stephen Oroso, who Myles said happened to have an active warrant for violating his probation at the time. Orso wasn’t arrested during the incident, but his probation officer was contacted. Myles said Orso is expected to turn himself into custody at Metro Jail within 48 hours, While state code gives constables arresting authority, the vast majority of jails and law enforcement agencies across Alabama don’t recognize that authority at all.
According to Section 15-10-1 of the State Code of Alabama, “An arrest may be made, under a warrant or without a warrant, by any sheriff or other officer acting as sheriff or his deputy, or by any constable, acting within their respective counties. Despite that, there’s been much confusion around the subject and constables in general for a number of years. (PLEASE NOTE: Mobile County Sheriff's Deputy's and Mobile Police Officer's come in numbers to back-up each other, they have the training of more than 480 hours and are being trained with the latest technology every month of the year, where constable are being trained by instructors under CPOSTC that the state does not recognize, and they DO NOT have a dispatcher to send them on calls or to send back up when help is needed, "each individual constable is on his own.")
Myles noted that there’s been controversy about constables’ place in Alabama law enforcement for years, and said this most recent incident with Morris stems directly from that.
“There’s been the question for a while: Is he or is he not a peace officer?. Under the state title, he is, but we don’t accept him nor do we accept arrests from anyone who isn’t APOSTC CERTIFIED,” Myles said. “When he put that guy in handcuffs, where was he going to take him? We weren’t ever going to take him.”
With his most recent arrest, Morris adds to the list of charges a handful of local constables have faced in recent years. Since 2012, at least six current or former Mobile County Constables have been charged and convicted for crimes ranging from murder to federal firearms violations.
Since 2014, the Mobile County District Attorney’s office has successfully removed at least two constables from office after they received felony criminal convictions in court.
Mobile Police Department Arrested And Charged Tyonne Frazier For Impersonating A Police Officer
When an alleged cop impersonator arrived at the scene of a legitimate police investigation, he didn't think he'd be the one leaving in handcuffs. Police in Mobile, Alabama arrested Tyonne Frazier, 34, after he walked around the area "as if he was investigating the scene," according to arrest records.
After doing some digging, we learned this wasn’t Frazier’s first time “playing cop.” His Facebook page has videos showing him allegedly using his camera as a dash cam and driving to scenes. Police say Frazier “looked the part.” The car he allegedly drove has police lights in it and a police scanner inside. They say he dresses the part, and police say he even has a badge. Police say Frazier has been playing the part pretty well. "About to arrive on the scene of a domestic disturbance. Apparently one male struck a female in the face, so we're going to see what's going on," Frazier said on one of his Facebook lives as he drives up to a scene. In one of the videos, Frazier gets out of the car wearing a shirt that says “POLICE” on the back. "All right then, they wanted to lie and not press charges on one another because they're so much in love, so there's nothing we can do," Frazier said on another video.
Police say it all finally came to an end during their investigation of a shooting. They say Frazier showed up at Government Boulevard and Satchel Paige Drive Tuesday night wearing a safety vest with police letters on it, walking the scene as if he was investigating. That's when an officer noticed he looked unfamiliar. "We've gotten him detained and we don't expect him to get out ... soon," said MPD Chief Lawrence Battiste.
Frazier is behind bars now and off the streets. Police say his time playing cop has ended. "Sorry guys, thought there was going to be some action, but, until next time," Frazier said in one of his videos.
Frazier is charged with impersonating a peace officer, carrying a gun without a permit and possession of drug paraphernalia. His bond hearing is set for 8:30 a.m. Friday.
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office arrests Martin Erin Goodman who allegedly pretended to be cop, tried to assault driver
Martin Erin Goodman, 46, was arrested Tuesday evening after authorities say he flashed a badge at another driver on U.S. 90 in Santa Rosa County, but the driver did not immediately pull over. Goodman used a siren and light on his dashboard to attempt to pull over the male driver, but the man called 911 and pulled into a parking lot on Creighton Road, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities said the driver was confirming whether Goodman was law enforcement. Goodman then allegedly pulled in front of the driver, flashed his badge and began an argument before leaving the parking lot. ECSO deputies arrived soon after and took down a description of the suspect. Pensacola Police Department officers matched the description with Goodman and his vehicle and pulled him over. Deputies found a security badge and light on the dashboard inside Goodman's vehicle, according to the ECSO. Investigators have charged Goodman in connection to a sexual battery on May 18 during which he allegedly pretended to be law enforcement and pulled over a female driver near Amber Street and North Davis Highway before attempting to assault the woman.
ECSO Chief Deputy Chip Simmons said during an afternoon press conference that Goodman convinced the woman to get into his car and tried to assault her, but she got away. Simmons said it's rare for offenders to commit similar crimes with such a long period of time in between six months in this case so authorities believe there may be more victims. Simmons said although Goodman was arrested in a red SUV in the Pensacola area, he may have committed other crimes in different areas or vehicles. Police described Goodman as 6 feet 5 inches tall and 345 pounds. Simmons said Goodman claims he has worked as a real estate agent and Uber driver, but authorities are still confirming his background. The ECSO does not complete traffic stops in unmarked vehicles, Simmons said. If any driver is suspicious of an officer trying to pull them over, they should go to a well-lit area, put on their hazard lights and call 911 to confirm that the officer is in the area.
Goodman was booked into the Escambia County Jail Tuesday night and was still in custody Wednesday. He bond was set at $2.5 million.
Authorities have reason to believe there may be other cases like this so we're asking additional victims to come forward after they arrested Martin Erin Goodman for allegedly impersonated an officer, pulled over a female driver and attempted to sexually assault her. Anyone who has had encounters with Goodman, with any information is asked to call ECSO at 850-436-9620.
Man impersonates police officer, pulls over vehicle and sexually assaults occupant
A person was sexually assaulted Tuesday after their vehicle was pulled over by a man impersonating a police officer, Montgomery police said in a news release.
About 7 p.m., MPD responded to Interstate 65 near Edgemont Avenue after a non-police vehicle conducted a traffic stop that ended with the sexual assault. The vehicle is described as a dark-colored sedan resembling a Ford Crown Victoria, equipped with a blue flashing light. Police did not provide more details on the description of the man accused of the crimes. MPD encourages anyone who observes a vehicle matching this description to call 911 and report it immediately. If you are being pulled over by an unmarked vehicle and you do not feel safe, slow down, turn on your flashers and proceed to a populated, well-lighted area before pulling over, Montgomery police advises. Call police with your vehicle description and location to verify the traffic stop before stopping. Police ask individuals with knowledge of this vehicle to call CrimeStoppers at 215-STOP, Secret Witness at 625-4000, or the Montgomery Police Department at 625-2831.
Man accused of impersonating a police officer arrested, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office says
Deputies have busted a man who was pretending to be like them, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. On Friday, 19-year-old Cristian Leon was arrested for impersonating a law enforcement officer. Last week, a woman who was driving near Belvedere Road and Military Trail said she was pulled over by a man dressed like a police officer and who had a holstered gun. After the person began asking the woman about things unrelated to a crime, she became suspicious, drove off and called 911. But Leon tells News Channel 5 this was all a misunderstanding and he wasn't pretending to be a cop. He says he was on his way to work last Monday in his security guard uniform, when a female motorist nearly crashed into his SUV. Leon says he has dreams of becoming a police officer. Dreams he admits may not happen now. For the first time, the woman who says she was pulled over by Leon is speaking. heart was like pounding fast and I just like closed my eyes cause I thought this is it you know. I don't know what's going to happen to me," said the victim as she described the feeling of realizing she may be dealing with an impersonator. It was supposed to be the end of the night for her. The 27-year-old woman who wants to remain anonymous was going home to her one-year-old baby girl.
"I was at the red light and a big SUV pulled up next to me," she said. She says Leon drove up in uniform and told her to pull over. Nervously, she says she pulled into the Murphy's gas station where the parking lot was well lit, but Leon told her to back up into the dark Walgreens parking lot next door. It was past 3 a.m. and the store was closed. "He gets out comes up to the car and puts his hand on his gun and one hand on my car," said the victim. The victim says Leon asked her several questions and did not believe that was really going home from work. The police report says he said "Let me see your boobs" to the woman. That's when the victim knew something wasn't right and pulled up her window, locked her doors, and called 911.
"I didn't know what to think, if I'm going to be like robbed or raped or I don't know," she said. She says when Leon noticed she was calling 911, he ran off. The victim says this is a lesson to pay attention to red flags, she's grateful she wasn't hurt. "I got to go home to my family, cause a lot of these situations don't turn out that way," she added. Police took Leon's gun from him. He has since been fired from the private security company he was working for. The sheriff's office released a composite sketch of the suspect, which was circulated by the media. Tips poured in and the sheriff's office said it led detectives to Cristian Leon who was working for a security company at the time the woman was stopped.
Vaughan man charged with impersonating a police officer
Investigators with the York Regional Police #4 District Criminal Investigation Bureau have arrested a 58 year old Vaughan man for impersonating a police officer in the City of Vaughan.
On Friday, January 15, 2016, at approximately 3:30 p.m., a woman was driving north on Dufferin Street just north of Steeles Avenue, when she noticed that she was being followed by a grey Toyota SUV. The Toyota pulled up in the lane next to her and both vehicle were stopped side by side in traffic. The driver of the Toyota rolled his window and flashed a flashlight at her to get her attention. The male driver was wearing what the victim believed was a police jacket so she rolled down her window to speak to him. The suspect identified himself as a police officer and began to yell at the victim for texting and driving and threatened to give a $500.00 ticket. When traffic began to move again, the interaction ended and the victim proceeded northbound.
At the time of the incident occurred an officer was in the area conducting plainclothes patrols in response to recent increases in break and enters in the region. The officer observed a portion of the interaction and felt it appeared suspicious so he flagged the woman down. She told him what had taken place. The suspect 58 year old Steven Boan was identified and was arrested and charged with impersonating a police officer.
York police would like to hear from anyone who has experienced a similar situation or who has information on these incidents is asked to contact the York Regional Police #4 District Criminal Investigation Bureau at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7470, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, leave an anonymous tip online at www.18000222tips.com or text your tip by sending TIPYORK and your message to CRIMES (274637).
Man accused of impersonating a police officer arrested, Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office says
A Mobile man pleaded guilty last week to a federal charge of impersonating a Drug Enforcement Administration agent.
Jason William Bradwell, 20, admitted that he posed as a recruiter for the DEA and persuaded an Irvington woman to fill out a 30-plus page "application" containing detailed personal information. The next step was to be a "home inspection." Mobile police found the application at the Salvation Army, where Bra Mobile man pleads guilty to impersonating DEA agent dwell was staying. Earlier this year, a Mobile police officer said that the woman feared for her safety. But defense lawyer Andrew Jones said last week, "There was no such kidnapping plan." He said that Bradwell "certainly doesn't present a danger to the public." Under an estimate of advisory sentencing guidelines, Bradwell faces a prison range of two to 10 months. Jones said that he would ask the judge to let his client out of jail until the sentencing date on Oct. 27.
"He'll have done most, if not all, of the time under his sentencing guidelines," he said.
Cameron Stokes: Grand Bay, Alabama, 18-year-old charged with impersonating a police officer after pulling over cars for minor traffic violations
Mobile County Sheriff's Office to investigate why teen thought he had arrest powers Mobile, Alabama Investigators with the Mobile County Sheriff's Office are trying to determine why an 18-year-old man thought he had the power of arrest. Cameron Stokes, of Grand Bay, was charged with impersonating a police officer, a Class C felony, after he was caught in the act of pulling over vehicles for minor traffic violations near U.S. 90 and Louis Tillman Road, according to sheriff's office spokeswoman Lori Myles.
Stokes had actually called in to dispatchers himself Thursday evening, saying that he was working the area for traffic stops, Myles said. Deputies then responded to the area and found Stokes driving a gold, unmarked Chevy Malibu, pulling over vehicles by flashing his high beams. He was carrying a constable badge, a handgun and 2 pairs of handcuffs, while wearing cargo pants and a shirt with the word "police" written on it, Myles said. No one pulled over by Stokes was hurt, and he did not take anything from them, other than personal information, Myles said. Stokes claimed he had been deputized, but Myles said, "He's not deputized by us. He had no authority." Though the power of a constable can vary in different jurisdictions, Myles said constables in Mobile do not have arresting power. They often assist authorities with school traffic, parades, funerals, or activities in the community.
Christopher Bryce Kuehn, 20, was arrested and charged with impersonating a police officer and reckless driving. Police say he was driving a 2014 Black Chevrolet Camaro, with Blue and Red Lights in the front windshield.(RCPD)
Man impersonating police attempts to stop off duty officer in Radford, VA. Radford police say a man who was impersonating a police officer attempted to stop an off duty Radford City Police Officer Friday night. Christopher Bryce Kuehn, 20, was arrested without incident and charged with impersonating a police officer and reckless driving.
According to police, the off duty officer was in his personal vehicle near the Green Hill Apartment Complex in Radford when a vehicle activated blue and red lights in the front windshield. Police say the off duty officer thought the vehicle belonged to the Radford University Police Department and pulled over. Police say Kuehn then quickly sped around him and traveled West on New River Road. The off duty officer contacted RCPD communications, to report the incident. Kuehn was arrested under a $1,000 bond and held at New River Valley Regional Jail. Police say Kuehn was driving a 2014 Black Chevrolet Camaro, with Blue and Red Lights in the front windshield. Police say if you are uncertain the vehicle stopping you is a RCP Officer, call 911 and travel to well populated area before pulling over.
This is a photo of the real public information officer Ernesto Rodriguez with the (Miami Beach Police Department)
NEW: Miami Beach man arrested for impersonating cop on Twitter In a case that may raise First Amendment and online rights issues, a man has been arrested for creating an "outrageous" parody Twitter account that got the attention of the Miami Beach Police Department. Ernesto Orsetti was charged with impersonating a police officer, namely department spokesman Ernesto Rodriguez, according to Miami New Times. Chief Dan Oates called the online impersonation "outrageous" and said it " threatened to damage the reputation" of the public information officer. But according to New Times, the state's statue on false impersonation does not refer specifically to online incidents. It's possible the case may become a legal test of online and social media content, the newspaper said. The fake Twitter account was first noticed in January. At the time, Rodriguez acknowledged its existence in a tweet that noted that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." Since the account was shut down, it remains unclear exactly what Orsetti did or said on the fake page, New Times reports.
Antavious Berry’s mugshot from an arrest in June 2017
Mobile Man Accused Of Burglary While Impersonating A Police Officer
Mobile, Alabama (WKRG) A man from Mobile was arrested early Wednesday morning after police say he stole from a man while impersonating a police officer.
It happened on St. Anthony Street in Downtown Mobile about three blocks away from Cathedral Square and Dauphin Street. Antavious Berry’s mugshot from an arrest in June 2017. 30-year-old Antavious Berry was arrested and booked into Mobile Metro Jail. He faces charges of burglary second-degree, impersonating a police officer, and unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle. The victim told police that an unknown man unlawfully entered his home and claimed that he was a police officer. Police say Berry forced the victim outside to his vehicle then took all the items from the car and fled the scene. Berry was located by officers shortly after and arrested. He has an arrest record in Mobile County going back to last year with arrests for theft, assault, and attempting to elude police.
If you are approached by someone who identifies himself/herself as a police officer, you may request to see their name, badge and photo identification to verify their identity. If the officer cannot produce identification and you are suspicious, contact The Mobile Police Department directly at 251-208-7211.
If you are operating your motor vehicle and you suspect that an individual is not a police officer, maintain current speeds, obey all traffic laws and proceed to the nearest police precinct or police department. Use your cell phone to record the conversation if you suspect the person attempting to stop you is not a legitimate police officer. Ask the dispatcher to send a supervisor to your location in a marked police vehicle.