Newark NJ police recently busted a man who was allegedly impersonating a police officer.
According to law enforcement, an off-duty Newark police lieutenant overheard the 25-year-old suspect identifying himself as a cop at a retail gun shop in Belleville, New Jersey. The suspect was reportedly in the middle of a conversation with the owner of the gun shop about buying a weapon.
The Newark police officer followed the suspect as he drove from Belleville to Newark. Once the suspect arrived in Newark, he was pulled over and placed under arrest.
When police officers conducted a search of the suspect’s vehicle, they allegedly discovered a 40-caliber handgun, a knife, a police radio, and a number of police-related items.
The suspect has been charged with impersonating a police officer and cited for multiple traffic violations.
It is also possible that the suspect could face weapons offenses, depending on whether he had a valid license to carry the handgun.
After the charges were filed against the suspect, the acting public safety director for Newark praised the off-duty police officer who made the arrest. The director stated that the Newark NJ cop was responsible for helping law enforcement remove “another gun from our streets which may have otherwise been used in criminal activity.”
For more information about this case, see the NJ.com article, “Man Arrested for Impersonating Newark Cop Found with Gun, Officials Say.”
