Wearing uniform, Idaho man pretended to be Boise police officer, sheriff says
A Glenns Ferry man was arrested for allegedly impersonating a Boise police officer, and law enforcement said it wasn’t the first time he pretended to be a first responder.
The 19-year-old was charged with a felony on July 8 for allegedly forging documents, according to court records. Elmore County Sheriff Mike Hollinshead said prosecutors might add charges as the investigation continues.
The Elmore County Sheriff’s Office asked Boise Police Department officers to contact the suspect at a Boise home on July 4, according to a Tuesday news release from the sheriff. When officers arrived, they noticed a “vehicle parked at the residence with a Boise Police Department uniform hanging in plain view in the backseat,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
Officers also said they located two forged certifications in the man’s possession that claimed he had completed a Boise Police Department training academy and been certified by Idaho Peace Officer Standards and Training.
The Sheriff’s Office said its evidence indicated that the suspect was wearing a Boise police uniform in Glenns Ferry while claiming to be an officer to his family and the public.
It also might not be the only time he has pretended to be an emergency responder, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The man has “been known to impersonate the staff of the Boise and Glenns Ferry Fire Departments and has falsely claimed to be an Emergency Medical Technician or Paramedic,” the news release said.
“Elmore County Sheriff’s Office is working with other law enforcement agencies to uncover how (the man) obtained uniforms and official controlled law enforcement insignia and equipment,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
Hollinshead asked anyone with information who might have encountered someone in a Boise police uniform in Glenns Ferry to call or text Elmore County Dispatch at 208-587-2100.
