Police: Man Posing As Officer Pulls Officer Over (DOH)

[The Straight Story]

Police: Man Posing As Officer Pulls Officer Over

POSTED: 12:44 am EST December 12, 2006
UPDATED: 10:19 am EST December 12, 2006

A Central Florida man is accused of pretending to be a law enforcement officer and pulling over an off-duty sheriff's deputy, according to a Local 6 News report.

Authorities said Tony Brest used a Crown Victoria to pull over an Orange County sheriff's deputy in an unmarked vehicle on State Road 408.

"The individual was trying to get the deputy to pull over, got behind him, got real close and eventually he turned on the lights on top of his car," Orange County sheriff's Deputy Carlos Padilla said.

"He even motioned for the deputy to pull over," Local 6's Jessica Sanchez said. "But the roles were reversed when the real deputy turned on his lights and confronted Brest, who was later arrested."

"What if this had not been a deputy?" Padilla asked. "What if this was a citizen who really can't tell the difference between a law enforcement officer or not?"

http://www.local6.com/news/10514005/detail.htmlhttp://www.local6.com/news/10514005/detail.html

[treestar]

1. This one is a tough one

Dad always told me not to stop in lonely places at night for police lights, to go to the nearest station, because a true police officer would follow you, and police have told me in horrified tones never to do such a thing.

It's scary so I guess I hope it never happens. A couple of serial killers have used that method.

[CC]

2. You dad was right.

Though can add slow down and if you have a cell phone call 911 to tell them what you are doing and where you are.
Now the cop may be pissed and you may be arrested for fleeing but most judges would throw it out once they found out where you stopped and why.

[Wcross]

4. Do not stop for an unmarked car.

Call 911 and explain the situation- they will know if one of their officers is behind you. If unable to contact 911 and it is a REAL cop, he should be joined by others at some point.

[dysfunctional press]

9. a clarification, please...

what is it that police have told you in horrified tones never to do- stop, or NOT stop for police lights in lonely places and drive to a station...?

[treestar]

12. Not stop. IOW, a police officer will tell you always to stop

no matter where you are - fleeing from them indicates only bad things to them, I guess, and they don't buy the excuse.

But in the era of the cell phone, you could call and check, as the OPs said.

[Ezlivin]

3. Since cops act like criminals, the criminal figured he'd act like a cop

A family member of mine rode with the Outlaw biker gang as an undercover cop. He said it was the most fun he'd ever had. And at over 300 lbs with long stringy hair, he looked every bit the role.

Are the criminals now going to return pit for pat and start going "undercover" as cops?

[twilight_sailing]

5. My Dad always told my little sister to drive to the police station

I knew a guy once who got in trouble for impersonating a police officer. Yep, he was pulling people over on the highway. He was crazy (and not in a good way).

There ARE a few bad cops out there. They do exist. I ran into a psycho cop in Amarillo, Texas one time. Spooky.

On the bright side, the cops here in Silver City, New Mexico are they nicest bunch of guys you ever met.

[seabeyond]

10. real friggin good. i live in amarillo texas. i hope it was 3, 4 decades

ago.....

[FlaGranny]

6. Does anyone remember

the case in Georgia where a cop was trying to stop a lady from Florida who happened to be black? When she finally stopped he tried to yank her out of her car with her seatbelt on. The lady from Florida was following well-publicized advice to drive to a safe place before stopping - this after some well-publicized news stories of people pretending to be cops and pulling people over and robbing them, or worse. This was also after a REAL State Trooper had pulled over a young woman driver, and wound up raping and killing her and leaving her body in a wooded island on I-95. The advice ever since - if you're frightened and in a remote location and especially if you are alone, acknowledge the officer, let him know you know he's there, and drive at the speed limit to the nearest public area and then stop.

[piedmont]

7. Hazard lights may help acknowledge the situation...

I've heard to slow down, put on the hazard lights, and go to a populated place like a store if in doubt.

[KansDem]

8. "...Brest thought the deputy was speeding."

Brest's friends said the incident was just a misunderstanding, claiming Brest thought the deputy was speeding.

So what? Why did he feel a need to pull him over? If the driver was driving unsafely, take his tag and report it. Is Brest just an over-anxious police buff?

This doesn't pass the smell test...

[Matariki]

11. I would suspect that he had ill intentions

perhaps to rob someone? i doubt seriously he was impersonating a police officer as some sort of community service thing. but i guess it's remotely possible.