Deputies arrest man for impersonating policeman

By Erik Sanzenbach
St. Tammany News
Published on Sunday, January 31, 2010 12:25 AM CST



St. Tammany Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Mandeville man Tuesday evening on a charge of impersonating a police officer.

Deputies got a call of a suspicious vehicle on Interstate 12 Tuesday night, and spotted a black SUV going west on I-12 near the Lacombe exit with emergency lights flashing and the siren had been turned on.

Deputies stopped the vehicle, driven by Robert A. Austin, 43, 104 Beau Soliel Place, Mandeville, at the intersection of Louisiana Highway 434 and U.S. Highway 190.

AUSTIN

Austin allegedly told deputies that he was an off-duty New Orleans policeman. Deputies did some checking and found out Austin’s claims were false. The deputies then searched the car and found a collection of police-related items, which included handcuffs, various police badges and a handgun.

Austin told police that he used the items only to avoid traffic tickets. Sheriff’s Office spokesman, Capt. George Bonnett, said Austin did not tell deputies why he was traveling down I-12 with his lights and siren on.

Austin was booked into the St. Tammany Jail, Tuesday night and was released Wednesday on a $5,000 bond.

The Sheriff’s Office wants to hear from people who may have encountered Austin when he was posing as a police officer. If so, they are asked to call Detective Ray Smith at 726-7829.


Copyright © 2010 St. Tammany News

Comments

3 comment(s)

    JUSTIN wrote on Feb 9, 2010 10:32 AM:

    " I could point out more than few imposters doing the same thing on the Northshore. They dress like policemen, wear police uniforms, carry guns, and report to work at police departments, however truth be told, they are handicapped imposters. Who could possibly enforce the law when they can't see thier own feet. I think before a person is given a gun and a car they should have to be able to tie thier own shoes, and not have to be told to get in out of the rain. "

    lil injun dude wrote on Feb 5, 2010 2:30 AM:

    " I personally wish somebody could just do SOMETHING about these attrocious nuisance speeders on Pichon Rd. in Lacombe, along with their God-Awful boom-boxes too... I've got a 3 yr.old here. "

    PURINA wrote on Feb 2, 2010 2:49 PM:

    " How can they say he was impersonating anything. Just because he had his collection of police stuff in his car does not mean he was trying to get people to think he was a police officer. Now if he had been at a dougnut shop, or if he were picking on an underprivledge youth, then he could be considered trying to act like the police. "

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