Man Arrested for Impersonating Police After Traffic Stop Incident

A California, Maryland man was arrested for allegedly impersonating a police officer after a traffic stop incident in Silver Spring on Monday.

Melvin Andrew Pinkney Jr., 43, was driving a Ford Taurus when he initiated a stop on an unmarked Montgomery County police cruiser around 12:15 a.m. The officer, who was on a special assignment, noticed Pinkney's vehicle because it resembled an unmarked police car.

According to court documents, Pinkney followed the officer's cruiser and activated the Taurus's red and blue emergency lights, prompting the officer to pull over near the intersection of Colesville Road and Greyrock Drive. Upon exiting his vehicle, Pinkney approached the officer and questioned him about his use of turn signals.

Pinkney claimed to work for St. Mary’s County and asserted that he was authorized to make traffic stops anywhere in the state. He mentioned he was heading to a part-time job at an Ethiopian restaurant.

After their conversation, the officer checked the Taurus's registration and discovered it was registered to Pinkney, not to any law enforcement agency. A second officer later visited the restaurant where Pinkney claimed employment and found him wearing a duty belt that included a badge similar to that of the Montgomery County Police, along with a handgun, taser, handcuffs, pepper spray, and an expandable baton.

When asked for his credentials, Pinkney was unable to provide any. A third officer inquired if he was an officer, to which Pinkney replied that he was not but was in the process of being hired by the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office. However, both the St. Mary’s County and Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Departments confirmed that Pinkney had never worked for them, and St. Mary’s County stated he was not in the hiring process.

Pinkney was arrested after the officer he had initially pulled over confirmed his identity. He is charged with impersonating a police officer and had a bail review in Montgomery County District Court, where he was held on a $5,000 bail, which he has since posted. As of Thursday, his public defense attorney had not been reached for comment.

Reported by HarborBeat based on The Baltimore Banner (source).