Fake cop going to prison after accidentally pulling over real cop, CA officials say

A man impersonating a police officer flipped on red and blue flashing lights on the grill of his car, officials said.

He accidentally pulled over a real cop.

The 27-year-old man from Greenfield, California, pleaded no contest Tuesday, April 26, to impersonating a police officer and driving under the influence. He will spend two years in prison, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office said.

Earlier this year, the man built flashing red and blue lights into the grill of his vehicle, according to the district attorney. On March 6 at about 3:16 a.m., he is accused of using them to pull over another car.

“(The man) attempted to perform a traffic stop on an off-duty Monterey County Sheriff Sergeant,” the district attorney said in a news release. “The off-duty sheriff initially yielded but became suspicious when (the man) did not exit his vehicle.”

The man drove away, officials said, and the sheriff’s sergeant realized he wasn’t actually driving a law enforcement vehicle. The sergeant began to follow the man until Greenfield police could pull him over.

“Field sobriety tests were conducted and Martinez was found to be under the influence of alcohol,” officials said. “His BAC was measured to be .10.”

The man had five prior convictions of driving under the influence, according to the district attorney.

This story was originally published April 27, 2022 at 1:04 PM with the headline "Fake cop going to prison after accidentally pulling over real cop, CA officials say."