NYPD Walt

metman

Alleged New York Officer Impersonator's Gear Gave Him Away

Oct. 21--The young man wore a bulletproof vest and had a police shield on a chain dangling from his neck. He said he was a federal police officer, and produced an identification badge to try to prove it.

But something didn't seem right to Suffolk police Lt. John McGarvey when he met John Downey, 28, early Sunday morning after responding with other officers to a landlord-tenant dispute in Medford. It wasn't just the fishy-looking ID card and the air-propelled starter's pistol, but the SWAT team gear that Downey was wearing, said Suffolk Sgt. Frank Stewart.

"First off, any police officer would not show up at a scene after hours dressed the way he was," Stewart said yesterday.

Downey, of 377 Amsterdam Ave., West Babylon, was arrested Sunday and charged with second-degree criminal impersonation, possession of a forged instrument and unlawfully dealing with fireworks, the latter for the starter's pistol. He pleaded not guilty yesterday in First District Court in Central Islip and was released on $2,500 bail. Police believe Downey was called to the scene of the dispute, at 475 Long Island Ave., Medford, by one of the participants. He wore a holster and handcuffs and drove an unmarked 2002 Ford Explorer outfitted with an emergency light bar in the rear window and a laptop computer embedded in the dashboard, police said.

Downey approached McGarvey and showed him a card identifying him as a Department of Veterans Affairs police officer, Suffolk police said. Suspicious, McGarvey took Downey into custody and called VA police, who said Downey was not a member of the agency, Stewart said.

Downey claimed he was a retired federal officer, which McGarvey doubted because of Downey's age, Stewart said. Downey then said he attended a police academy and resigned; Suffolk police could not confirm that claim, Stewart said. At Downey's home, Suffolk police found an automatic rifle and a semi-automatic rifle, which he had legally, Stewart said. Police found pictures of Downey wearing SWAT gear and brandishing the automatic rifle while wearing a commando-style mask, Stewart said.

Downey had no prior arrests, but police were trying to determine whether he had previously portrayed himself falsely as a police officer, Stewart said. Anyone who made contact with Downey was asked to call the 6th squad at 631-854-8652.

Downey is due back in court Friday. He and his Suffolk Legal Aid Society lawyer could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Source

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Surely this could never happen in Ireland......:D

TheNog

We had a similar situation here when two students in the college got their uniforms for the first time and brought them home to show to the auld pair. Later in the weekend and after a fair few beers they thought it would be a great idea to set up a checkpoint outside one of their homes. People started ringing the local station complaining that the guards at the checkpoint were drunk.

Needless to say they were arrested and I did hear they were kicked out the following week. Don't know if there was a prosecution.

Random

TheNog wrote: »

We had a similar situation here when two students in the college got their uniforms for the first time and brought them home to show to the auld pair. Later in the weekend and after a fair few beers they thought it would be a great idea to set up a checkpoint outside one of their homes. People started ringing the local station complaining that the guards at the checkpoint were drunk.

Needless to say they were arrested and I did hear they were kicked out the following week. Don't know if there was a prosecution.

How did it take them a week to get kicked out?

TheNog

Random wrote: »

How did it take them a week to get kicked out?

An investigation in the College can take longer than a murder inquiry tbh

Paulzx

TheNog wrote: »

We had a similar situation here when two students in the college got their uniforms for the first time and brought them home to show to the auld pair. Later in the weekend and after a fair few beers they thought it would be a great idea to set up a checkpoint outside one of their homes. People started ringing the local station complaining that the guards at the checkpoint were drunk.

Needless to say they were arrested and I did hear they were kicked out the following week. Don't know if there was a prosecution.

Jesus. These two actually got thru the aptitude test, interviews etc.

Simpletons.

metman

Idiot; just add alcohol.

TheNog

Yeah a stint in the college could also be taken as the real final stage of recruitment

Eru

TheNog wrote: »

Yeah a stint in the college could also be taken as the real final stage of recruitment

Dont forget the story, true or false I dont know, about the student that had duplicate keys and a list of names. Sinister motives and I heard sinister connections.

eroo

Karlitosway1978 wrote: »

Dont forget the story, true or false I dont know, about the student that had duplicate keys and a list of names. Sinister motives and I heard sinister connections.

Jaysus! I don't understand how people like that and the 2 Nog mentioned can make it through the recruitment process! But the question is, are all of these types rooted out in the College or could some make it through? :eek:

Eru

eroo wrote: »

Jaysus! I don't understand how people like that and the 2 Nog mentioned can make it through the recruitment process! But the question is, are all of these types rooted out in the College or could some make it through? :eek:

Ah, all the tests in the world wont weed out everyone that doesnt belong but the reality of the job and being around police will sooner or later.

The recruitment process is pretty strict but of course its not perfect and some bad apples will get in but luckily, soon found out either in the college or at the station. THen its a case of sacked or resign depending on the scenario.

As for having shady connections, ask yourself this. Just how well do you know your neighbours, friends, distant relatives? How about your sister or brothers partners? How about your own partners family? Theres a lot of people in the world with a lot of secrets. Its possible that there could be some connection between you and a criminal that you have no idea about.

Anyway, I wonder how many tiimes this guy got away with this? With equipment and uniform in the states being easier to obtain Im guessing it happens a fair bit more than here and the UK.

Trojan911

metman wrote: »

Alleged New York Officer Impersonator's Gear Gave Him Away

Surely this could never happen in Ireland......:D

Didn't this chap used to post here up till recently??? Wondered where he went .

On a different note, a fella I know suddenly appeared on the front pages on the News & Screws a couple of years ago.... He was was on duty & interupted a porn shoot in central London. He was covertly filmed by the crew, in full uniform, after getting an invite into the van, servicing one of the actresses. He is no longer serving.

And the two probbies, who had a disagrement on searching a young black male in Camden, ended up in a full fist fight with each other also in full uniform, in full view of the public. They were also let go.

metman

Trojan, I remember that story making the news....it was a couple of bobbies on CX's ground wasn't it?

Some of it you couldn't make up.....I knew of a lad who was kicked out of training because he went to the local chip shop with a mate, got the wrong change back from the guy behind the counter (think he must have been given change of 20 when he paid 10), and then got a cab back to the training centre bragging about getting more change back whilst in the cab. The cabbie promptly informed the training school and the lad was subsequently binned. Years of waiting to get into the job and a career down the drain for the sake of £10. What a plonker.

Numpties like this we can do without.

Trojan911

metman wrote: »

Trojan, I remember that story making the news....it was a couple of bobbies on CX's ground wasn't it?

Spot on. Think there was a photo shoot by one of the tube entrances which drew a crowd & he was 1TSG at the time.

Don't want to mention his name but he was in a while (6-7yrs) sound guy, ladies man and a general all round top banana. Used to know him @ DM. Nearly choked on my coffee when I picked up the News & Screws & saw him, but it didn't surprise me.

metman

The job is introducing a new disciplinary code from December....strangely enough the Fed haven't highlighted it and its barely got a mention. The new system has done away penalties such as being fined 3 weeks pay or being decreased in rank (which might have been more appropriate for the lad you knew)....now everything will be either a minor offence, dealt with locally, or a major offence which will go to DPS.

Sounds like your mate got the shaft all round, but he certainly wouldn't be the first for getting in trouble for not keeping the mouse in the house....like this chap.

deadwood

eroo wrote: »

But the question is, are all of these types rooted out in the College or could some make it through? :eek:

CLADA

eroo wrote: »

But the question is, are all of these types rooted out in the College or could some make it through? :eek:

:D

Eru

Trojan911 wrote: »

On a different note, a fella I know suddenly appeared on the front pages on the News & Screws a couple of years ago.... He was was on duty & interupted a porn shoot in central London. He was covertly filmed by the crew, in full uniform, after getting an invite into the van, servicing one of the actresses. He is no longer serving.

I remember that, was the footage ever actually made public? Not looking to youtube it just curious.

Trojan911

Karlitosway1978 wrote: »

I remember that, was the footage ever actually made public? Not looking to youtube it just curious.

Not to my knowledge. Never heard of it getting into the public domain for viewing. What possessed him to do it I'll never know.