Man arrested for claiming to be IMPD officer with a dog at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
A man was arrested near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for telling an on-duty officer in plain clothes that he was also an officer while walking his dog the day before the Indianapolis 500.
At 8:12 p.m., on May 24, 2024, Speedway Police Detective Adam Bandy was alerted to a person impersonating an officer near IMS in the 4700 block of West 16th Street. Officer Gannon Wood, who was on duty with the Pike Township Constable, said a man identified himself as an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officer.
He also told Bandy the man had a large dog with him.
Officer Wood said he asked the man if he could pet his dog, a Malinois, which is a commonly used police dog. After being allowed, unprovoked, the man said he was an IMPD downtown district officer and had been for the past 12 months. According to court documents, Wood said the man bragged about making a large narcotics bust with his dog, resulting in several recent arrests.
Wood noticed the man wearing a black duty belt. He had handcuffs and a firearm on his belt with an orange tip.
Once at the scene, Bandy, who was in full uniform, saw a man with a large Malinois and asked him to secure his dog so they could talk.
While walking with the man, Bandy read him his Miranda Warning, and the man agreed to speak and answer any questions.
Again?!! Man accused - again - of impersonating an officer, Indianapolis police said
At first, the man said he didn't know what Bandy was talking about when asked about his previous interaction with Wood, according to court documents. Bandy explained that the person he was speaking with was an on-duty officer in plain clothes. Officer Wood then walked near the conversation and showed his badge and identification.
According to a probable cause for his arrest, the man then confessed to identifying himself as an IMPD officer and said repeatedly that he did so because he was going through a hard time.
While speaking to the man, Bandy noticed the firearm on his black duty belt was a Glock 23.40 caliber. It was later revealed to be a replica BB gun with an orange tip. The Glock replica had a magazine inside with a "switch" attached to the rear to make it automatic. Bandy noticed a flashlight along with handcuffs on the belt.
The man was arrested and formally charged with impersonating a public servant.
Indianapolis Animal Care and Control placed the Malinois into their care.
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