Kitsap County investigators arrested a man in a truck decked out to look like a police vehicle that even had a device that covered the license plate with a plastic cover that read “police”.
When a deputy spotted the truck around 2 a.m. Aug. 10, he noticed it looked like a law enforcement vehicle, but not from any department he had seen before.
“And he realized, okay, this is getting a little bit more suspicious,” said Kitsap County sheriff’s spokesman Deputy Scott Wilson. “The suspicious meter was starting to go up.”
At the wheel was 34-year-old Cody McMahon, who is not a police officer, but a convicted felon.
Wilson said when the deputy saw that the small placard that read "police" in white letters on a black background had suddenly been replaced by a Washington state license plate, he stopped the truck.
“His excuse was, well I like to play airsoft games and we play roles,” said Wilson. “But it also may help me get out of a ticket if I’m caught speeding.”
Wilson said a search of the truck revealed airsoft handguns and rifle that appeared real as well as handcuffs, what looked like a police helmet, body armor and handheld radios, as well as insignias and tools a real police officer might use on the job. Wilson said the search also revealed a fake King County sheriff's badge and methamphetamines.
McMahon was arrested and charged for illegal drug possession and impersonating a law enforcement officer.
Wilson says it's not clear if anyone has ever been stopped by McMahon believing he was a real cop.
“We don’t know. So if somebody has, then please come forward and let your local law enforcement agency know, or let us know.”