Video Captures Man Impersonating a Police Officer, Threatens to Take Victim to Jail

WESLEY CHAPEL (PASCO) – A Largo man is charged with impersonating a law enforcement officer, after he used emergency lights and a fake badge to stop a vehicle, and threaten to arrest the driver.

According to Pasco County Officials, on Monday afternoon, 49-year-old John William Dawson was driving his 2012 Chevrolet Impala westbound on SR-54 in Land o’ Lakes. Dawson proceeded to activate red and white lights that were mounted to his dashboard and then began flashing his blue tinted headlights at a driver in front of him. Both vehicles continued westbound until they pulled into the parking lot of a local business. That’s when Dawson approached the vehicle and tells the driver “You need to slow down” and then threatens to take the driver to jail if he follows him again. Knowing there was something suspicious about the “officer,” he reported the incident to the Sheriff’s Office. Thanks to one of the occupants recording the incident on video and the victim positively identifying the suspect, Dawson was quickly arrested.

Dawson told investigators during an interview that he was just trying to get the victim to “slow down” and that he was driving erratically. Immediately after the incident, Dawson tells investigators that he threw the badge away at an unidentified business.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said,”I urge everyone, if they feel uncomfortable with a situation similar to this, to proceed safely to a well lit area and call 911. I cannot stress this safety message enough and I am thankful this case was resolved with an arrest.”

FOLLOW THIS LINK TO WATCH VIDEO OF THE INCIDENT WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE

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WARNING: Strong Language