Man charged with false impersonation of law enforcement officer, accused of pulling driver over - KCTV 5
JACKSON COUNTY, Mo. (KCTV) -- A 75-year-old Missouri man is charged with false impersonation of a law enforcement officer.
Eddie DeMoss is accused of pulling over another driver for reportedly cutting him off on the highway.
The investigation started after a driver contacted the Missouri State Highway Patrol to report a traffic stop on Jan. 27 near 23rd Street and I-435. The driver suspected they were pulled over by a man pretending to be a law enforcement officer.
“These cases of impersonation where someone is trying to pretend to be a police officer fortunately are very rare,” said Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Andy Bell.
During the investigation, the driver told officers he passed another driver. He says the man then started following closely behind him and appeared to be positioning his vehicle to do a pit maneuver. He says the suspect flashed his headlights at him and activated red and blue emergency lights. The driver called 911 and eventually pulled over.
DeMoss is accused of telling the driver he would arrest him and impound his vehicle if he did not end his call to 911. The driver says DeMoss took his driver’s license and pretended to run a computer inquiry of his license. The driver says DeMoss told him that he had to “respond to a fatality” but that he could have charged him with four separate charges.
Court records show the driver was able to remember the license plate on the vehicle used to pull him over. Investigators say the vehicle was registered to DeMoss. They observed his vehicle had what appeared to be emergency lights mounted in the front grill and a siren speaker mounted near the front bumper.
According to court records, DeMoss is not currently a licensed police officer in the state of Missouri. He previously worked for the Kansas City Missouri Police Department and Missouri State Highway Patrol until 1973.
Sgt. Bell says if a driver doesn’t believe the person pulling them over is a legitimate officer, they can call 911 and ask dispatchers to confirm the person is a law enforcement officer. Drivers can also ask to see department-issued identification.
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source: https://www.kctv5.com/2022/03/04/man-charged-with-false-impersonation-law-enforcement-officer-accused-pulling-driver-over/
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