You are no longer employed by Parkridge, correct? >> Correct. >> Okay. So, what's the reason you're showing our officer the badge? >> I didn't show it. I opened my wallet and that's >> A traffic stop in Cook County turns into an investigation over a badge and police lights. The driver says he never claimed to be a police officer. >> Step up. Just face right here. >> Face the one in front of you. >> Hands up real quick on the car. >> 8090 >> So, you got nothing on you, no weapons or nothing? All right. Give me five good reasons >> You're just being detained at the moment so we can ask you some questions, investigate everything. >> Um >> You are no longer employed by Parkridge, correct? >> Correct. >> Okay. So, what's the reason you're showing our officer the badge? >> I didn't show it. I opened my wallet and that's you know how the little thing >> I know, but when you're Okay, when you have been terminated from a police department or anything, you're not allowed to carry any police identity, you know, badge, no nothing, anything at all because that's pretty much you're impersonating a police officer, which you are no longer a police officer. >> Yeah, I didn't state I was a cop. I didn't >> But you still have a badge on you, right? And you showed him the badge and he said you used to work for Parkridge or Burr Ridge, whatever it was, right? >> I asked you uh if you remember, I asked you was is that Arlington and you said no, that's Parkridge. I said no, I I worked for Parkridge. >> Yeah. Okay. Do you work for any other department at the moment or anything? No? >> No, I said I worked >> Okay. And then does this car Does this car have lights? Cuz we saw the lights on there. Where's the switch at that you would activate them if you did have them? These right here? >> I had them. They were there when I >> Yeah, but you put those you installed those lights so they're actually police lights that flash like police lights? >> Police lights are right there on my engine. >> So, how did they get on there? >> I Well, I mean I put them on myself but I was just >> Okay, so see when I on you see listen to what I'm telling you now. You have police lights on the vehicle that you're saying apparently don't work but you have lights on here. You're carrying around a badge and you're not a sworn police officer. >> I had them on. >> all of impersonation impersonating a police officer. >> When I was working there I had them. >> Okay, so you understand when you get terminated from a job that should automatically come off. That should not be on your vehicle at all because now you have these on your vehicle and you also have a badge. So how do we know you're not pulling somebody over? You could say yeah they don't work right now but there's something you could probably go under the hood, connect them and you could start pulling people over and act like you're still the police and you're not. So that's all evidence of impersonating a police officer. Which at the time you should have just turned your your stuff into Park Ridge or whoever it was. Except the badge you should have turned the badge in as well. Yeah, go ahead. >> Uh did you answer that my I'm supposed to my baby mama I'm supposed to get my kids. >> Okay, give me a second. >> Pick them up in a half hour. >> Okay. >> I'm going to go to the >> This one or yeah cuz we're going to be right here anyways cuz we don't want to be too >> Okay, first thing that that I did was that you were in a retirement party at one of my nurse's tonight. >> I understand but you see where we're coming from, right? If I'm a police officer right now and I get terminated and I carry a badge on me and open up my wallet and I have a badge there and I have a vehicle with actually police lights still on it that's red flags. At my point I would say you know what? I'm terminated I'm going to need to get rid of this badge, turn this back into them and I'm going to take these lights off this vehicle. Okay, well we'll talk over that. >> What was the reason behind the registration again? >> Get started on what you got to do and then I'll search the car, I'll do everything. All right, at this time I'm going to go through your whole vehicle. Do you have anything in there that I should know of? Any weapons, anything anywhere, anything that's going to poke me, stick me anywhere in that car? >> No. >> You sure? Tell um see if we're going to actually have to tow it. Uh see if sergeant wants to do admin tow or if he wants to do a regular tow, because it is going to be a >> He's getting He's going to be in a bit. >> Oh, is it Okay, cool. Well, that By that time All right, police lights. Hey, they do work. They're working. They're flashing. So, vehicle does have, as you can see, police lights in the front. That was installed by the sus- This This is Officer Pereira with the Cook County Sheriff's Police Department. Um I don't know who the guy is that you're calling. Um I think uh Okay, uh he is being detained at the moment. Um he is being arrested for impersonating a police officer. >> Okay. >> So, he's going to be in custody. He will be going down to the station at Maywood. Um he will have uh probably uh court hearing tomorrow to see what his bond's going to be, if they're going to bond him, or give him a bond. >> Okay. >> And his vehicle will be seized. It's going to be towed, because there are police lights on the vehicle that are actively working as well. So, right now, this is an investigation. So, he is being detained, okay? Once he gets his phone call from the >> Sarge, you can have a little bit more room. >> All right. Um the lights are working. >> Okay. >> So, I got him now on camera. That mean you want to go up there in front with yours, and just show >> and then I'll I'll do it after you. >> I'll go through I'll go through the whole truck. All right, go ahead. Step out. I'm going to readjust the car, then I'll I'm going to switch you out to the other side, so you have more room. >> Yeah, man. >> And then, that's another red flag right there. You told me them lights don't work. They do work. Okay, well, you can say all you want to say, but they're plugged in, and they're actively working. So, I have them on now. >> Yeah. I'm going to readjust the car. Just face the over here. We're adjusting for what? Just want to make sure like a feather finger. >> All right, go ahead and flip it. >> There you go. I feel better. There you go. Try to make it a little easier. All right. Is that better? >> Yeah, that's better. >> The officer then explains how he got the lights working. He connected a plug inside the car. He said that the lights on the vehicle do not work at all. So, I went search the car. There's a plug in the middle. I plugged it in and was able to turn them on. So, I'm like, you have police lights on there. You have a badge. I said it's all everything I'm a impersonating police officer. I said, why wouldn't you remove that when you got fired? Or like remove or let go, yeah, either or. But, he's like, oh. I said, "Did you put them on yourself?" He said, "Yes, I did." So, I searched the vehicle. Nothing else. I got to search the trunk now. But, he has no weapons on him, nothing on him. All right, I'm good. The car's already good. We're good. So, I'm just going to get a clarification on the tint meter. >> Yeah. 18% >> Okay, tint so, illegal tint. Plate first, right? >> And then, yeah. You got expired tints. Uh unauthorized >> tint? >> Uh emergency emergency lights, yeah. And then showing the false tags. Uh and then I have impersonating police officer as well. No weapon or nothing on him, but >> No, yeah. Yeah, we searched him all, checked his waistband, everything. So, checked the whole car, nothing in the vehicle. >> Uh you want me to start working on the I-clear search? >> Yeah, do that and then we'll do the rest. >> Okay. >> Write your tickets and uh we'll work I'll work on the uh charges. >> Okay. >> Subscribe for more police footage with the context behind each investigation. >> All right, he said, "Yeah." So, we're going to do that. Run it down. I'm going to do it in front of him so he knows. All right. What's your name again? Scott. All right, I'm going to do this in front of you, okay? You looking at me? Cool, cool. All right, body camera's on. So, only thing we're taking is we're going to take your um ID or what is your your driver's license and then we're going to take your this badge out of here. Does it? >> Yeah. >> Oh, okay. Okay, we'll take that. All right, and then this wallet we'll just leave the wallet um you have this like a Chase card in here. What is this uh Discover and Amazon, okay? And then cash wise you have something in here too. What's this? >> That's from my >> Post and uh >> It's a tracker from my wallet. >> Okay, so it's security, okay? And then the cash in here I'm going to count this in front of you on camera. You have 100, 200, all right? Then you have 1 2 3 4, 5. That's $300. 310 15 16 I'm putting this back in the wallet. And on camera I'm going to shove this inside your glove box all the way underneath the phones and everything in there like I'm just going to shove it all the way down there at the bottom, okay? So, 317. Martinez, write that down. 317 we're going to leave it in the wallet and I'm going to put this like this on camera all the way to his vehicle and stuff it inside his vehicle. $317. >> Is there any way you can call >> I already I did the phone she's calling her right now. I answered and I let her know they're going down to the station and then you'll probably find her in tomorrow and then from there they'll determine if you go out or what's going to happen. So, she already she's aware of it. The driver's license and the police badge, Park Ridge police badge, wallet with cash, credit cards, everything is going back in the vehicle. This will go right here underneath. Both cell phones. Shove them there. Both cell phones. Close the compartment. Secure. And we are just obtaining badge and driver's license. There you go. We'll put that up here for >> Later, officers clarify that the driver had not used the lights during the stop. They decide not to write that citation. >> Hey Sarge, for the lights, do you want to put blue flashing lights >> Yeah, red. So, he didn't use them in the traffic stop. That's the only thing we >> Okay, so okay. That's true. >> He has lights on it. He should have took them off, but he didn't use them anyway. >> Perfect. Okay. Okay. Don't write him for that one, he said. He said don't write him for that one cuz he didn't use them obviously, but he does have them on there. >> Yeah, I got all the stuff. >> Yeah. Four. >> Head to the district. I'll follow you. >> To the district? Okay. >> We'll process both of you in a way. >> Yep. >> Got it. >> Can you show me a route to the district, third district where one time custody. >> I have a story to mind you when you're ready. >> As the driver is taken to the station, another officer stays behind to arrange the tow. >> What's going on, boss man? >> What am I picking up? What's wrong with >> So, the guy's got in his old badge from his department he used to work for, Park Ridge. He's got lights on there, everything. >> I saw the lights. I don't like I thought it was one of yours. >> Nope, this is his. >> Oh. >> let go from Park Ridge, but he He the lights on there. He's like, they don't work." Plugged in the lighter, sure enough they work. So, yep. So, I'm assuming it's this one. >> He's in big trouble for that. >> It is. He's impersonating a police officer. Yeah, he's going to be locking him up now. Here's the keys. I'll put this in the glove box with his stuff. Let me make sure they're off. Yep. Yeah, it was that one plug that I plugged I plugged. >> Oh, crap. Sorry. >> I guess he thought I was Yeah, I guess he thought I wasn't going to find the plug to plug it in. Put his keys back in. Yep. Uh Let me get uh >> report number and see if he's going to be a hold or >> Yeah, so he wants a hold for now um because uh he's waiting for the commander to verify if we are going to still hold him. He said, "But just for now," he said, "we will put a hold on it for now." >> Well, we're good till Monday cuz can't pick up on Sunday. >> Perfect. Okay, do you got a card on you, too? So, I can >> I've got a card in the car. >> Awesome. I'll write the receipt for you. Yep. >> What did someone see his lights on or something? >> No, so the officer and my partner pulled him over for an expired tag from '23. Pulled him over for expired tag, and come to find out when he comes up to him and talks to him, the guy opens up his wallet and has his badge right there. He's like, "Oh, you're a police officer?" He's like, "Uh yeah." And the officer says, "Wait, from where?" He's like, "Park Ridge." He's like, "Well, uh I used to work there." And then he started trying to change his story around. And then we seen the lights on there, too, and we found it activated the lights. We're like, so yeah. >> Oh, [ __ ] >> Yeah, we verified with Park Ridge. They were like, "Yeah, no, we let him go a couple months ago already." >> So, a simple expired tag's got him in >> Got him in >> of trouble. >> Oh, yeah. All right. So, appreciate it, boss man. You stay safe. >> Anytime. You be safe. You're cool. >> Right? Yep. All right, boss. You have a good one. >> No problem. You need to get out of here, pal. >> All righty. I'll wait for you to hook it up just in case, you know, some people don't see you working here and they might try to >> All right. Oh, yeah. >> We're 23. Any mileage? 185331. >> 10-4. End of your transport at 1435. >> I don't need the citations there, right? >> No, cuz Well, yeah, bring it up cuz we need the paperwork upstairs. >> And I'll work out the last ticket. >> This is maybe a site release for the property. >> All right, Scott. Go ahead and step out. Remove the seatbelt. Watch your head, okay? Good. You okay? Let me uh You want to step out? Where's your phone, sir? Go ahead and step in. We're going to go upstairs. Watch your step. Go ahead. Make a right. >> Yeah, you can do the right one if possible or leave the one that's a little >> Yeah, I'll probably Yeah. >> If that's possible. >> No, I'm going to remove the right one, this one? >> Yeah. >> Got you. All right, have a seat. >> The supplied footage ends at the station. It does not show a court decision or establish the final outcome of the case.