HARTFORD: Police: Fake 'Officer' Chased Down By Real One

Hartford police say that Israel Gomez was pretending to be one of them early Tuesday when he got a harsh surprise.

Gomez, 20, was cruising down Franklin Avenue in a 1994 Honda Civic equipped with red and blue strobe lights, a siren and a loudspeaker. Driving behind a car near South Street, he turned on his flashing lights and sounded the siren. Gomez drove up to the right side of the car, and using his loudspeaker, ordered the driver to pull over, police said. A second car, which police said was driven by an accomplice of Gomez's, pulled up on the left side of the car that Gomez was trying to stop.

What Gomez and his accomplice, Esteban Cardona, 20, did not know, police said, was that they had targeted a real police officer — off-duty Hartford police Lt. Ronald Bair. The pursued became the pursuer. Bair followed the two cars south on Franklin Avenue, called for assistance and confronted the two men near Hanmer Street.

Gomez, of 586 Franklin Ave., was charged with impersonating a police officer, reckless driving and improper use of red flashing lights. Cardona, of 20 Victoria Road, was charged with reckless driving. Both men were released from custody.

Hartford Courant. "HARTFORD: Police: Fake 'Officer' Chased Down By Real One" courant.com [updated October 22, 2008; cited Oct 22, 2008]. Available from
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