Stephenville Man Arrested for Impersonating an Officer in Brown County

January 3, 2017 at 1:16 pm brownwoodnewsstaff

Written by Amanda Coers – A Stephenville man took it upon himself to pull over what he thought to be a reckless driver over the New Year’s weekend.

According to law enforcement reports, at approximately 3:10 a.m. a Brown County Sheriff’s deputy responded to a report of a reckless driver westbound from Comanche County on Highway 67. The call came from a concerned motorist following the alleged reckless driver from the Dublin area.

While responding to the area, the deputy located the driver of the reported vehicle, only to discover a civilian had detained the individual at gunpoint.

According to the report, the driver had pulled over in the Blanket area to urinate, and while stopped, Taezer Reeve Thompson, who had been following the driver and called in the report of reckless driving, stopped behind his vehicle, activated a white off road light bar and drew a gun on the driver, identifying himself as a police officer. The driver complied with Thompson’s orders because he was “fearful of being shot.” Thompson then detained the driver until a Comanche County deputy arrived on the scene, followed by a Brown County deputy.

Thompson’s vehicle, a white 2003 Chevy Tahoe, was equipped with an emergency siren, an in-car dash camera, and a white off road light bar across the top of the windshield.

This vehicle, pictured on Taezer Thompson’s Facebook page – is similar to the vehicle listed in the report

Thompson was arrested for Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and Impersonating a Public Servant, both felonies. The driver Thompson detained was not arrested.

Thompson was booked into the Brown County Jail and later released on bonds totaling $30,000. The weapon used during the incident is currently in evidence. It is unclear at this time if Thompson retrieved his vehicle.

Thompson’s social media profile lists “Security Forces” at the United States Air Force in previous employment from March 2014 to December 2016. Thompson did show a military ID during booking. Thompson’s profile also lists participation in the Criminal Justice program at Tarleton State University in 2013.

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While it is rare to be pulled over or approached by a person who is not a law enforcement agent, if you have suspicions there are a few things you can do to verify whether or not you are being detained by an officer.

Tips for dealing with individuals impersonating police officers:

If the vehicle attempting to pull you over is not a clearly marked police cruiser, you should slow down (to indicate you are not trying to get away, in case it is a real police officer), and drive safely to a well-lit, public place with other people around, such as a shopping mall parking lot or gas station.
If you have a cell phone, call 911 and tell the operator that you have been pulled over by someone who claims to be a police officer but you are unsure. Tell the operator exactly where you are, and stay on the line.
If you do pull over, keep your doors locked and only crack the window enough to pass your driver’s license and registration through. If the “officer” is not in uniform, and either refuses or is unable to show sufficient ID along with a badge, keep your window rolled up and doors locked.
If in doubt, tell the “officer” that you’d like for him to call another officer to the scene. This is your legal right. A real officer will understand your concern and have no problem with calling a fellow officer (or supervisor) to the scene. If the individual attempting to pull you over is not compliant with your request, tell the “officer” you are uncomfortable and that you will gladly follow him (or be escorted to) to the nearest police station.