Pittsburgh man accused of impersonating officer, harassing judge at Allegheny County Courthouse
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A Pittsburgh man is accused of impersonating a police officer, harassing a judge and carrying a knife at the Allegheny County Courthouse.
According to the criminal complaint, Christopher Hall showed up at Motions Court on Tuesday morning dressed as a police officer, wearing a uniform with patches, a badge, an empty pistol holder and handcuffs.
When he tried to get into the courtroom, the officer outside recognized Hall and told him he had to stay at the door because a defendant was in front of the judge at the time.
The officer said Hall said he was there for a motion to get his license to carry a concealed firearm reinstated and he needed to see the judge because it was a "life or death situation." According to the criminal complaint, a court administrator said Hall had been continuously calling her office about the motion, and he was told his case wasn't scheduled yet.
Police said Hall insisted on talking to the judge, and when Hall was told he couldn't do that, he allegedly said that he knows where the judge parks his car and he'll just talk to him then.
The criminal complaint said the officer noticed a knife in Hall's shirt pocket, and Hall said he had just worked and forgot it was in there. After a search, police said they also found three live rounds of 9mm ammunition in his bag.
As Hall was being escorted out, the officer said Hall took out a pistol, magazine and folding knife from a personal locked lock box in the sheriff's weapon lock box room. Weapons aren't allowed inside the courthouse.
The criminal complaint said Hall is not a certified police officer, though he does have an active Act 235 certification, which according to the state police's website, allows privately employed agents to carry a lethal weapon.
Hall will be charged with impersonating a public servant, possession of a firearm or other weapon in a court facility and harassment via summons, the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office said.