An Arizona man was arrested for pretending to be a police officer when he attempted to pull over a car, which happened to be occupied by two Arizona state troopers. Police said that Matthew Allen Disbro installed red, white, and blue flashing lights, a police siren and a radio scanner in his black Dodge Charger.
Disbro was driving on Route 51 in Phoenix when he turned on the lights and siren and tried to pull over a yellow Ford Mustang. The Mustang was being driven by two police officers who were using the unmarked vehicle to target aggressive drivers. The officers ran the plates of the car and learned that it belonged to a private citizen. The officers refused to pull over, despite Disbro pulling up alongside them and pointing to the side of the road.
Instead, the officers turned on their lights and sirens and pulled Disbro over. He was arrested on suspicion of impersonating a police officer and taken to a Maricopa County jail.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety said they are not sure if Disbro had pulled over any other motorists, but asked anybody who may have been stopped by a black Dodge Charger to reach out to them.
"Motorists need to feel confident that when they are pulled over by law enforcement they are dealing with a state - certified peace officer. Criminal behavior like that exhibited by the suspect, undermines public confidence and makes it difficult for troopers and other law enforcement officers to perform their job," AZDPS Major Deston Coleman of the Highway Patrol Division said in a statement.
Photo: Arizona Department of Public Safety