Driver Arrested for Impersonating Police Officer with Modified Vehicles
We’ve all fantasized about having the power to clear a path through traffic or scare reckless drivers with police lights. However, one driver in Illinois took it too far and is now in custody for driving around in two modified vehicles that closely resemble real police cars.
Investigation by Millstadt Police Department and Illinois Secretary of State Police
The Millstadt Police Department collaborated with the Illinois Secretary of State Police to investigate reports of a local driver using a black Ford Explorer and Chevrolet Impala that were modified to resemble official police vehicles. The Ford Explorer featured a bullbar, basic steel wheels, a loudspeaker, and an A-pillar-mounted spotlight. The Chevrolet Impala had steel wheels, an A-pillar spotlight, rear CB antennas, flashing lights on the windshield, and a ‘police interceptor’ badge on the trunk lid.
Incriminating License Plates
While some of the modifications could be argued as harmless fun, the license plates on both vehicles proved to be incriminating evidence. The plates displayed the text ‘pursuit vehicle, police interceptor’ and ‘IP’ (for Illinois Police), along with a star and the words ‘Illinois State Police.’
Legal Consequences
The Millstadt PD’s Facebook post announcing the arrest mentioned that the driver is currently facing charges. Although it does not explicitly state whether the driver attempted to pass himself off as an officer or used the lights to pull over unsuspecting drivers, the police have urged anyone in the area who believes they were stopped or approached by the driver to come forward.
Previous Cases of Impersonating Police Officers
This incident is not the first of its kind. There have been cases of fake cops encountering real police officers when attempting to pull over unsuspecting drivers. In a similar incident last December, a California teenager was arrested for distributing fake parking tickets in Santa Cruz to scam drivers.