3 Arrested For Impersonating Police In Baltimore City
BALTIMORE (WJZ)— Police arrest three men suspected of impersonating police officers in two separate robberies.
Monique Griego spoke with one of the victims, who played a key role in helping police catch the thieves.
Police say three men—23-year-old Donte Driggs, 36-year-old Demon Harris and 26-year-old Wayne Kasey--pretended to be police in order to rob people at gunpoint.
"They had fake badges on. You see the badge, so you just assume they the police, and they had guns," said Thomas Bulls, who was robbed by the impersonators.
Bulls says Tuesday the trio confronted him and a few friends outside of a house in the 500-block of Presstman Street.
"They rifled through their pockets, took certain amount of currency, some cigarettes and then left the scene," said Detective Kevin Brown of the Baltimore City Police Department.
It didn't take long for the group to realize something was up. They called police who were able to catch up with the thieves in the 3200-block of Baker right as they were about to rob someone else.
"They were actively engaged in another case of police impersonation," Brown said.
Officers arrested the men and found they had badges, a bullet proof vest, a "Glock" style pellet gun and a revolver that shot blanks.
Brown says those items got police looking at other cases.
"We're now just investigating to see if this is linked," Brown said.
Since July, there have been several home invasions where people have been tied up, robbed, beaten up and even shot by intruders dressed as officers.
Bulls says he's rattled by his experience.
"It makes you feel a certain way, like you don't know who to trust," he said.
The suspects are charged with impersonation and theft.
The Baltimore Police Department would like to remind citizens that if they feel they are being approached by individuals who are fraudulently representing themselves as law enforcement officials, they should request proper identification or call 911 to confirm authenticity. If the encounter is aggressive in nature, the call should be made only after it is safe to do so.
Anyone who feels they may have been victimized by these individuals is asked to contact Baltimore Police detectives at 410-396-2240.
