Florida man, 26, arrested for impersonating a policing officer while pulling over an undercover cop
- Matthew Joseph Erris, 26, was charged with impersonating a police officer Tuesday night after he pulled over an undercover detective in Tampa Bay, Florida
- Authorities say Erris installed red and blue flashing lights on the roof of his Chevy Trailblazer, which was also equipped with a P.A. system
- The 26-year-old tried to perform a traffic stop on a man who turned out to be an undercover detective with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
- The detective initially refused to be pulled over until Erris changed lanes and pulled up next to his window
- Arresting officers found a pellet pistol underneath the driver's seat in Erris's SUV
- He told officers he used the emergency lights and P.A. system to avoid traffic
- Records show Erris works as a senior dismantler at a salvage yard
Matthew Joseph Erris, 26, was charged with impersonating a police officer Tuesday night after he pulled over an undercover detective in Tampa Bay, Florida
A Florida man was arrested Tuesday night after impersonating a cop while pulling over someone who turned out to be an undercover officer.
Matthew Joseph Erris, 26, had his white Chevy Trailblazer equipped with red and blue flashing lights on the roof six days ago when he pulled over another vehicle in Tampa Bay, Florida, police said.
Erris was driving north on Paul Buchman Highway in Tampa around 8pm when he flipped on the red and blue lights to pull over a car in front of him, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The undercover Hillsborough County sheriff's detective who was driving the unmarked agency car didn't immediately pull over, so Erris changed lanes and pulled up next to the detective, who told dispatchers to alert patrol deputies, according to an arrest report obtained by the Tampa Bay Times.
Authorities say Erris installed red and blue flashing lights on the roof of his Chevy Trailblazer
Erris's SUV was also equipped with a P.A. system and flashing lights underneath the bed of the vehicle
'Deputies did a REAL traffic stop on Erris,' the county sheriff's department wrote on its Facebook page Thursday along with the hashtags '#FakeCop,' '#GotEm,' and the exclamation 'OOPS.'
Erris was booked into the Hillsborough County jail where he was released Thursday after posting $2,000 bail.
Jail records indicated the 26-year-old works as a senior dismantler at a salvage yard.
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During his arrest, Erris reportedly confessed to installing the emergency lights and a public address system with speakers on his vehicle, telling a deputy he used the devices to get through heavy traffic, the arrest report indicated.
The real officers also found a pellet gun underneath Erris's front seat.
'It's unclear how many times he has done this in the past,' the department added. 'Anyone who recognizes his vehicle and believes they may have been a victim should contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at 813-247-8200.'
Records show Erris works as a senior dismantler at a salvage yard
Arresting officers found a pellet pistol underneath the driver's seat in Erris's SUV
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