Iowa Man Arrested For Impersonating Police Officer

[NeFire242]

07/12/2006 -- Iowa Man Arrested For Impersonating Police Officer

A Le Mars, Iowa man accused of following a woman while driving a car equipped with a blue strobe light faces several charges, including impersonating a police officer.

John Beardshear was arrested on Saturday in Sioux City. Police say a woman driving near Merrill called 911 because she was being followed, and the car had a blue strobe light. The 911operator told the woman to drive toward a police station. When she drove to Sioux City, the police were alerted.

Beardshear was arrested on charges of impersonating a police officer, eluding, possession of marijuana and driving while his license suspended.

Sioux City Police Captain Peter Groetken says what the woman did was right, call 911 to confirm whether the person trying to stop you is actually a police officer.

He says if you don't have a cell phone, drive to a public place, and stay in your car with the doors locked until you can get someone's attention.

http://www.keloland.com/News/NewsDetail5440.cfm?Id=0,49416

 

[Declared_Hostile]

Yeah it gets really complicated and dangerous for the citizenry when the police insist on skulking around in unmarked or marginally marked cars and then attempt to pull over motorists. You don't know who is trying to stop you. If it's a noticeably painted and marked car with an obvious lightbar on top then it's a safe bet it is a policeman. If it some nondescript sedan with some sort of lights flashing in the grill or in the window trying to pull you over who knows.

 

[NeFire242]

Very true. And I've seen agencies use a lot of different vehicles types for unmarked or even marked units. At night this compounds the problem.

 

[newbie]

Yeah call 911 to confirm or drive to a public place....

Then when it was a real officer they get all huffy and pissed off that you did not stop right away. Or threaten to charge you with eluding.

 

[K9GTJ]

Yeah it gets really complicated and dangerous for the citizenry when the police insist on skulking around in unmarked or marginally marked cars and then attempt to pull over motorists. You don't know who is trying to stop you. If it's a noticeably painted and marked car with an obvious lightbar on top then it's a safe bet it is a policeman. If it some nondescript sedan with some sort of lights flashing in the grill or in the window trying to pull you over who knows.

In Indiana, law enforcement much have a fully marked car to make a traffic stop or be in a full uniform. That isn't to say we have not had our share of people pretending to be an officer and pulling over females.

 

[GTO_04]

In Indiana, law enforcement much have a fully marked car to make a traffic stop or be in a full uniform. That isn't to say we have not had our share of people pretending to be an officer and pulling over females.

Yes, it has happened quite a bit. One guy in Johnson Co. was using a Crown Vic, was wearing a uniform, and even had a police radar on the dash! The average person cannot tell the difference between a genuine uniform and a security guard uniform that is easily purchased by a wannabe.

In Ohio, it was at one time against state law to use unmarked cars for traffic enforcement period, uniform or not. I don't know if that is still the case today. Sounds like a good idea. And they write plenty of traffic tickets in Ohio without the use of unmarked cars.

GTO_04