Convicted felon in fake patrol car with sirens pulled over by real cops, NC police say
A North Carolina man faces an officer impersonation charge after police said they spotted him driving in what appeared to be a patrol car.
The man was arrested Feb. 28 after police pulled over his vehicle and discovered it wasn’t a real patrol car, despite having a functioning blue-light bar and sirens, according to a March 8 Smithfield Police Department news release.
Smithfield police noticed the 64-year-old driving a 2003 Ford Crown Victoria with “POLICE K9” written across the side, as well as the patrol lights on top of the vehicle, according to the department. When officers ran the Ford’s registration, it came back as another vehicle, police said.
When police pulled the Dunn resident over, they saw he was wearing clothing that said “K9” on them, “tactical style boots” and a holster, according to the department.
Officers also spotted a pistol sitting on the passenger seat next to the man, who they learned is a convicted felon, according to the department.
Among the evidence collected by officers was the pistol, nine rounds of 9mm ammo, a North Carolina license plate and a USB flash drive that contained pictures of a police car, according to an arrest report obtained by McClatchy News.
While searching the vehicle, police found a white powder substance presumed to be cocaine, according to the report.
Police said they did not receive any reports that the man pulled anyone over while driving in the fake patrol car.
The man was charged with a narcotics drug offense, possession of a weapon by a felon and impersonating an officer, according to police. All three charges were felonies, the report shows.
He was booked at Johnston County Detention Center and was held under a $50,000 bond, police said.
Smithfield is about a 30-mile drive southeast of Raleigh.
This story was originally published March 8, 2024 at 1:07 PM with the headline "Convicted felon in fake patrol car with sirens pulled over by real cops, NC police say."
