Florida man allegedly tried to pretend to be a cop, but he got arrested after pulling over the wrong person

A Dade City, Florida, man was arrested last week and charged with impersonating a law enforcement officer after allegedly trying to pull over a real life detective while playing cop.

What are the details?

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, 26-year-old Matthew Erris used his 2007 Chevrolet TrailBlazer — complete with flashing red and blue light bars on the grill and roof — to attempt a traffic stop Tuesday night. But the driver he flagged down was an HCSO undercover detective who refused to pull over.

Instead, while keeping Erris' "patrol vehicle" in sight, the detective called 911 to alert actual deputies, who were able to apprehend the suspect a short time later. Officers discovered a "realistic looking airsoft pistol in a holster beneath the front passenger seat" when they searched the TrailBlazer.


WFLA-TV reported Erris admitted to installing the lights on his vehicle, saying he used them to get through heavy traffic.

Anything else?


Officials are looking into whether Erris has attempted similar stunts before. Anyone who recognizes the vehicle or believes they might have been a victim of the suspect is encouraged to contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at 813-247-8200.

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