Suspected police impersonator arrested after trying to pull over deputy

A California man faces a charge of impersonating a police officer after authorities said he activated emergency lights on his Dodge Dart and tried to pull over a Riverside County sheriff’s deputy.

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Authorities arrested Johnnie Sellers, 21, Tuesday afternoon after connecting him to an attempt earlier in the day to pull over an off-duty deputy, according to officials.

The Riverside County sheriff’s deputy, who was not identified, was driving in a personal vehicle at 10:30 a.m. when someone in a Dodge Dart behind the deputy turned on a siren and a pair of flashing lights.

The deputy was suspicious of the Dart and didn’t pull over. As the Dart passed, the deputy snapped a photo of the car’s license plate and called the Riverside sheriff’s dispatch center.

Authorities tracked the car to Hemet, a city about 85 miles east of Los Angeles. Deputies found LED light strips in the car’s upper windshield area and a public address system installed on the vehicle, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said.

Investigators determined that Sellers is the owner of the Dart.

He was arrested and booked into Riverside County Jail. Records show that he was released Tuesday after posting a bail of $2,500.

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