A Kennesaw man was dressed in a police uniform, driving a car outfitted with emergency lights and displayed a badge when Acworth officers stopped him earlier this month.
The man told police he was a HERO, or highway emergency response operator, a Georgia Department of Transportation employee dispatched to traffic-related incidents throughout metro Atlanta. But according to authorities, he was a fraud.
Jerardson Roshad Mackey, 33, was arrested on a felony charge of impersonating a public officer or employee, the Acworth Police Department announced in a statement Wednesday.
According to police, officers spotted Mackey driving a Dodge Charger with emergency lights July 20. The cops pulled him over after he improperly pulled out of a parking lot on Lake Road, officials alleged.
When the police officers encountered Mackey, he was dressed in a law enforcement uniform that included a duty belt and equipment. He wasn’t armed, according to Acworth police spokesman Cpl. Eric Mistretta, but he did have a holster on his belt for a gun and was carrying extra magazines.
Investigators don’t know where Mackey obtained the police garb, but Mistretta noted it wasn’t an Acworth police uniform even though it did resemble the navy blue style worn by Acworth officers and many other agencies.
Mackey showed the officers a badge and told them he was an off-duty HERO with GDOT. The officers initially cited Mackey for unlawful operation of an emergency vehicle and released him from the scene, police said.
Acworth police continued to investigate and later obtained a warrant for Mackey’s arrest on the felony charge.
Mackey turned himself in to authorities Friday and was released from jail Saturday morning on $2,500 bond, online jail records show.
The Charger proved to be a vehicle retired by another police department with the law enforcement markings and insignia stripped away. Acworth officials aren’t sure how Mackey acquired the vehicle.
Investigators are reaching out to other agencies to see if they’ve handled similar calls, Mistretta said.
— Staff writer Caroline Silva contributed to this article.
About the Author
