KENNER, La. — A man who allegedly impersonated law enforcement unknowingly pulled over an undercover detective, which landed him in jail.
According to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office around 5:30 Wednesday evening William Gilchrist turned his fake police lights on. JPSO says he flashed his lights at a driver traveling on Airport Access Road near Airline Highway in Kenner. JPSO said when the driver pulled over onto the shoulder, Gilchrist blasted a siren and kept driving.
The driver, who happened to be a JPSO detective thought that was weird and knew something was wrong so he then pulled Gilchrist over. JPSO says Gilchrist handed the detective a U.S. Marshall badge so the detective called the U.S. Marshalls to verify Gilchrist, JPSO says that's how they determined he was an impersonator.
Chief Reginald Rowe formerly with NOPD, now owns a security company, SEAL Security. He says there's a certain type of person who impersonates law enforcement. Chief Rowe said, "Sometimes it's people who fantasize about being in law enforcement or parents who may have been in law enforcement or family members who were in law enforcement and they never made the cut."
Chief Rowe says you never know what the impersonator's intentions are, saying, "You don't want to take the chance and say this is possibly a police officer, so I will just pull over, but what happens if it's not."
His advice, if someone tries to pull you over in an unmarked car he said, "I wouldn't get pulled over by an unmarked vehicle, I would drive to the nearest police station. If it's an actual police officer, it would be confirmed at the police station."
According to JPSO, Gilchrist was charged with manufacturing a fraudulent I.D., false impersonation, and improper lights. Court documents show he made a bond.
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.