William Gilchrist, 45, of Mississippi, thought it would be cool to install flashing blue lights and a siren on his pickup truck.
He figured with these two add-ons, he'd be able to impersonate a police officer and pull people over on the road, just like a real police officer would. So he put in the work and even got himself a badge so that he could do just that.
Gilchrist was down in New Orleans for some odd reason, driving near the airport, and he found a car that looked ... we'll call it "suspicious." This was his big chance to get himself involved in some police work, so he got behind the wheel, turned on the lights, and began a pursuit. Predictably, the vehicle pulled over; but instead of stopping his truck and performing a traffic stop, Gilchrist got cold feet and pulled alongside the vehicle, sounded his siren, and simply pulled off, continuing on down the road.
To Gilchrist's surprise, however, that same car, began to pursue him, turning on its legitimate lights and siren. At this, Gilchrist responded by turning his fake ones back on. Eventually, though, Gilchrist pulled over for the unmarked vehicle, which was being operated by a detective with the local Sheriff's office.
What happened next is something usually only witnessed in comedy films.
Once stopped, Gilchrist handed the detective a badge and a U.S. Marshals Service identification card and identified himself as a 'deputy,' authorities said. But Gilchrist doesn't work for the Marshals Service and the ID was fake.
Gilchrist also had a "State Police fugitive task force" license plate frame on the back of his truck, which, along with the initial aborted traffic stop, tipped off the detective.
Gilchrist finally met his match: Reality.
William Gilchrist, 45, of Greenville, was arrested late Wednesday and booked with false personation of a police officer, possession of fraudulent identification and improper lighting …
Gilchrist was taken into custody and booked at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna. He remained behind bars Thursday without bail on the counterfeit identification charge. Bail was set at $650 on the other charges.
Hey, at least he got to see what police work actually looks like "behind the scenes"?
I'll leave you with this:
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