By JAMES MITCHELL
Sunday Times Newspapers
LINCOLN PARK – Reports of a black Ford that had attempted to pull drivers over with flashing lights ended with one Lincoln Park man charged with impersonating a police officer and another cited for drug and weapons possession.
According to police reports, officers responded at 9 p.m. June 2 to complaints that a four-door Crown Victoria that “resembled a police car” had been trying to pull motorists over near Park and Washington streets. The vehicle had been driving up and sown residential streets at a high rate of speed.
One of the responding officers was familiar with that – or a similar – vehicle that had been seen near Quandt Park, and soon found the car traveling north on Washington.
Five men were in the vehicle and the officer called for additional police. While speaking with the 20-year-old driver, the officer saw a pellet gun between the driver’s seat and center console.
The five were ordered out of the vehicle and handcuffed. A further search of the vehicle revealed two silver pipes with suspected marijuana, and a handgun in the back seat allegedly belonging to a 25-year-old passenger.
Additional items found included a Motorola radio, switches to activate police lights attached to the front bumper and a red police light. Inside the trunk police found handcuffs, an air-gun replica of a Glock handgun, and several other emergency lights.
The driver was taken into custody for processing, and cited for impersonating a police officer and possession of marijuana. During a search at the police station a deputy marshal’s badge was found in the man’s shoe, where he said he’d put it, “so I won’t get caught with it.”
Arraignment and possible additional charges were pending further investigation.
The 25-year-old passenger was cited for carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle, and awaited a pending arraignment.
Other passengers included three teens who were taken into custody and cited for loitering.
(James Mitchell can be reached at [email protected].)