Webster Man Charged With Impersonating A Police Officer
Webster Police (Facebook)
A Webster man was in court this week pleading not guilty to using flashing blue lights on his vehicle while driving through traffic. The Telegram & Gazette reports Aaron Bates was charged with impersonating a police officer and disturbing the peace. The offense took place back in January when a witness saw Bates passing traffic on South Main Street.
Webster Police tell us that one of their real officers stopped the vehicle and questioned both occupants. Bates denied using the blue lights to get through traffic, but did say he admired police and thought the lights were “cool.”
The car also featured stickers that police often use to identify their vehicles, including “police interceptor” in the front and a “thin blue line” sticker in the back.
Police impounded the lights and control panel, but did not issue any charges until later when Bates called the police station and asked for his lights back. That is when police got in contact with Bates’ probation officer after it was learned he was on probation for armed and unarmed robbery.
As a result of an investigation, Webster Police suspended Bates’ driver’s license. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for April 3 in Dudley District Court.