Belleville Cops Charge Kearny Man With Impersonating Police

BELLEVILLE, NJ — Belleville police recently arrested a Kearny man after he allegedly tried to impersonate a police officer. Authorities said that officers caught the man driving a Kia with flashing lights, and that he tried to pass himself off as a cop when pulled over.

According to the Belleville Police Department, officers saw a white Kia traveling at a high rate of speed with red and blue lights activated around 9:47 p.m. on May 23. When the officers followed the Kia, they allegedly saw the driver blow through two red lights.

When the driver pulled over and turned off its lights on Washington Avenue, the officers conducted a motor vehicle stop, authorities said.

When the officers approached the vehicle, they saw the driver was wearing a shirt marked “Sheriff.” The driver – Eric Perez, 51, of Kearny – then flashed a badge to the local cops and identified himself as a sheriff’s officer, authorities said.

The Belleville officers noticed that the badge was not a real sheriff’s badge and asked for identification, which Perez could not provide. Upon further investigation, the Belleville officers found that he was not employed with the Essex County Sheriff’s Office and took him into custody.

Authorities charged Perez with impersonating a police officer and issued him five motor vehicle summonses. He was released on his own recognizance.

Keep updated with local public safety alerts at the Patch Belleville-Nutley Facebook page. Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

File Photo: Shutterstock (not the badge in above story)