A Persistent Police Impersonator Tried To Pull Over A Real Cop

In Akron, Ohio, one man luckily knew the difference between a police impersonator and a real cop when he saw one. This incidentally happened when the fake cop tried to pull him over on his way to his real job where he works as a real police detective.

The fake police officer, David Scofield, of Lancaster, has been convicted of impersonating a police officer before, according to Northeast Ohio Media Group. Apparently his previous brush with the law only reinforced his desire to take part in the law unlawfully once again.

This time, the 50-year-old police impersonator swerved his fake police cruiser in front of the real cop’s personal vehicle on October 13, 2014 evening on Interstate 76 in Tallmadge. Scofield then shined a bright spotlight into the real cop’s car, which prompted the real police detective to call Akron and Tallmadge police.

Scofield was stopped by an Akron police officer on Interstate 76 near Arlington Road, and Scofield told the officer that he was a sheriff’s deputy. The real officer told the fake cop to stay in his car, but the fake policeman got out anyway. At this time, Scofield was accused of throwing a knife back into his car to hide it from the real police officer he was facing, and at this point in time he was arrested, according to police reports.

The officer searched Scofield’s car and found a police scanner, blue and red lights, and guns. Scofield also had ammunition, a bullet-proof vest, a fake badge, a loaded magazine, and a SWAT shirt.

Days later, his home was searched where a large collection of guns, silencers, more fake badges and documentation, and even three phony police cruisers were found.

Last month, Scofield pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of obstructing official business and impersonating a police officer. He also pleaded no contest to mishandling a firearm.

According to the Associated Press, Scofield was sentenced on Thursday in Akron. He has been sentenced to 18 months of probation and was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation for his stunt as a police impersonator. David Scofield was also fined $1,000.

The judge also ordered all of his police paraphernalia discovered in the car to be destroyed.

Scofield’s attorney, Dennis DiMartino, said he was happy his client avoided jail time. DiMartino explaned the badges Scofield had were real from the time he worked as a reserve deputy for different law enforcement agencies.

Scofield lost his reserve deputy status in 2013 when he was accused in Fairfield County of pretending to be a sheriff’s deputy. The police impersonator “pleaded guilty to falsification and obstructing police business,” according to Northeast Ohio Media Group.

[Images from Robert Kuykendall/Flickr and Akron Police]