Cheektowaga Police Department says a man was arrested after impersonating a police officer.
A police investigation revealed Corey Shepard, 26, showed up on a call of a reckless driver Friday night.
Police say Officer Jacob Wodowski was assigned to investigate the reckless driver call. A Cheektowaga Police 911 dispatcher told Wodowski the complaint was called in by an off-duty Buffalo Police Officer.
After Wodowski pulled over the car in question, officers say Shephard pulled up to the scene.
Cheektowaga Police say Shephard was wearing a dark police uniform, duty gun belt, handgun, and ballistic vest with the word "POLICE." Shephard identified himself as a Buffalo Police Officer.
Officials say Shephard told Wodowski he called in the complaint of a possible drunk driver and that he would cover the officer on the call.
Police say Wodowski determined the driver was not drunk and released the driver.
Officer Wodowski says he felt Shepard was acting suspicious as they talked, but the two went on their separate ways after Shepard quickly showed the officer a badge and ID card.
An investigation of the incident showed in a dash cam video that Shepard pointed his gun at the driver of the stopped vehicle when Officer Wodowski approached the driver. The investigation also showed Shephard was neither a police officer anywhere, nor a security guard.
Cheektowaga Police say they arrested Shephard on Monday at his home where they found police-related items and equipment. Items found included parking tickets stolen from the Buffalo Police Department, a ballistic vest with the word "POLICE" in bold letters, a fake Taser, several police uniforms, handcuffs, pepper spray, police baton, handcuff key, seven fake police ID cards, six fake police badges, and a "POLICE" ball cap.
Police say they also found five hypodermic needles and 14 vials of a steroid.
Officials say Shephard was charged with reckless endangerment, criminal impersonation, possession of a hypodermic instrument, criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal possession of stolen property, and several accounts of possession of a forged instrument.
Police say Shephard currently works for a local security company installing and maintaining security systems.
He appeared in court and was released on $1000 cash bail.
Cheektowaga Police say they are worried Shephard has victimized the public in the past. They are asking anyone who believes they were a victim of Shephard's impersonation of a police officer to report the incident to the Cheektowaga Police or any other police agency in whose jurisdiction the event occured.
Cheektowaga Police can be reached during the day at 686-3544 or after 4 p.m. at 686-3508.
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