Working in the news you quickly learn a lot of people are crazy.
My favorite group of nuts may be "sovereign citizens," who claim to be exempt from laws and taxation and often try to claim empty houses as their property.
Life's a lot easier when you can just make stuff up.
Today I stumbled across a smaller but equally demented group claiming to be police officers descended from the " Knights Templar ," a military order linked to the Catholic church during the Middle Ages and, more recently, bad books and movies.
The original Knights Templar worked for the pope, who commanded armies in those days.
The current "Masonic Fraternal Police Department" has at least one member who works for California's attorney general.
According to the reports I've read, three people were arrested for impersonating police officers.
Typically, fake cops pretend they are part of an existing police force. The MFPD, however, was created out of pure fantasy.
Arrested for impersonating police officers were Brandon Kiel, the aforementioned aide to California Attorney General Kamala Harris, David Henry, who claims to be a police chief, and a woman named Tonette Hayes.
The fake police department set up offices in a strip mall next to a storefront church in Santa Clarita, California, reports the L.A. Times. People that attend the church say the trio had been spotted in "sharp suits" and driving a Lincoln Town Car with no license plates.
Employees of a nearby country & western themed restaurant said Henry would often visit in a full police uniform and had out cards identifying him as "Chief Henry 33."
The fake police were outed by real police, who began investigating after receiving an email in January saying Henry was the new chief of an organization they had never heard of. Henry and Kiel had met with multiple police agencies to let them know the ancient yet new police force was setting up shop in their neighborhood.
The fake police were known to work with members of a religious philanthropy group that gave U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters an award in 2012.
The insanity meter is cranked to 11 on the MFPD's grammar-challenged website.
On the site, Henry says he is "Fraternally Obligated. I Most Solemnly & Sincerely Promise & Swear to Protect & Serve & Uphold The Constitution & By-Laws of That Grandmaster & That Sovereign Jurisdiction So Help Me God Amen, Amen, Amen Fraternally Faithful, Absolute Supreme Sovereign Grandmaster Henry 32° 33° X°."
I'm not sure what "32° 33° X°" can mean other than "I am crazy."
The MFPD claims to be " the oldest and most respected organization in the World ... created by the 'Knights Templar's' back in 1100 B.C." and has 500,000 members and "will operate in 33 states including Mexico City."
The Knights Templar (note the correct spelling) were actually founded in about 1100 A.D., but I don't think facts or spelling are things these people take seriously.
The site also claims the MFPD is "not 'Sovereign Citizens' nor do we condone terrorist activity, sovereign citizens or clandestine!"
A Google+ account seemingly created by Henry features more inane ramblings and pictures of Rihanna and other women in bikinis and yoga pants, reports CBS.
My advice? If you're going to pretend you're a cop stay away from real police and pay someone to make a more believable website.
Haven't had enough? Check out this horrible paean to Masons.
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