Antigonish man accused of posing as an officer and driving mock police car

A 23-year-old man has been arrested for impersonating a police officer while driving a car made to look like a police vehicle, according to a news release from the Nova Scotia RCMP.

The Antigonish, N.S., man may have used the mock police vehicle to pull over other vehicles in both the Halifax Regional Municipality and Antigonish County, police said Wednesday. 

The suspect was allegedly driving a white 2013 Ford Taurus with reflective striping along both sides, LED lights, a black push bar mounted to the grill, and a microphone attached to its dashboard. 

Police found out about the man after people complained about someone driving what appeared to be an unmarked police car in both the HRM and Antigonish County.

There were three separate complaints about the vehicle in the Antigonish area, on Jan. 6, 10 and 18, said Cpl. Mark Skinner who speaks for the Nova Scotia RCMP. 

"We had people calling in saying something was amiss, something was unusual. We think that someone is driving around in something that looks like a police vehicle. There was one of the complaints, I believe, was that the vehicle was driving aggressively as well," said Skinner.

Vehicle seized

Officers tracked the alleged driver to a home in Antigonish where he was arrested. They also seized a vehicle that matched witness descriptions. 

Skinner said when police seized the car, the reflective striping on the side had been removed. The driver had also struck a deer before the seizure and the push bar was damaged, he said.

The LED light bar was mounted in the back window of the car, like an unmarked police vehicle. Real unmarked police vehicles do not have any reflective striping, Skinner said. 

It doesn't appear the suspect was trying to imitate any particular police force, he just wanted to be seen as an authority figure, said Skinner. 

The suspect also did not have any clothing that resembled a police uniform.

Impersonating a police officer is illegal under the Nova Scotia Police Act and the Criminal Code.

"I was disappointed that somebody would feel that is an appropriate behaviour given the circumstances we've experienced here in Nova Scotia," Justice Minister Mark Furey said in an interview with CBC News Wednesday.

On April 18-19, a gunman dressed as an RCMP officer and driving a fake police car killed 22 people in rural Nova Scotia.

Furey reminded Nova Scotians that they may request identification from police officers they encounter.

"[The general public] took it upon themselves to report to the local police agency and I'm pleased with the outcome of that investigation. That's going to be an important element going forward," he said. 

"This is a very sensitive issue ... the motoring public have a right to know they are being stopped by a uniformed, authorized police officer."

In the Antigonish case, there is no indication the 23-year-old suspect was going to attack or harm anyone, police said. 

"I don't think there is significant ill intent or anything of that nature, it's just simply the impersonation related issue we're looking into," said Skinner.    

Skinner said the man's motivation remains a mystery, but the police investigation is continuing.  

The 23-year-old has no prior criminal history, said Skinner.  He was released from custody on conditions and is expected back in court in March. 

RCMP believe there may have been other unreported incidents where the vehicle was used to pull over cars between Halifax and Antigonish. They want anyone who has seen the fake police car or know of any incidents involving it to contact them at 902-863-6500.

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