A disqualified driver has been charged after his Commodore with flashing red and blue lights slid into a convoy of patrol vehicles outside a Northland police station.
Mid/Far North Area Prevention Manager, Senior Sergeant Clem Armstrong, said the copycat slid into a police convoy outside Kawakawa Police Station last Thursday evening.
鈥淎fter catching the officer鈥檚 attention, a check confirmed the registered owner of the vehicle was disqualified from driving.
鈥淭he real Police officers signalled the Commodore to pull over.鈥
Armstrong said that after the man was arrested, a search of his vehicle uncovered a loaded firearm underneath the driver鈥檚 seat as well as a 3D-printed gun, a stash of ammunition and methamphetamine.
鈥淚t was quite the unexpected find,鈥 Armstrong said.
鈥淥ur team is extremely pleased to be able to remove these items from our community and hold this offender to account.鈥
The 30-year-old will appear in the Kaikohe District Court on January 20 on charges including personating a Police officer, unlawful possession of a restricted weapon, driving while disqualified and possession of methamphetamine.
It comes on the same week that police revealed they had caught a drunk man who tried to pull over an unmarked car of actual police officers.
Counties Manukau Police said the 鈥渂izarre incident鈥 occurred while officers were conducting patrols in an unmarked vehicle in the area on Saturday.
A station wagon following the unmarked car began flashing a red-and-blue bar mounted on the vehicle.
Police said officers were 鈥減erplexed鈥 before clocking the car as not an actual officer.
The real officers managed to pull over the man after he attempted to flee, who they said exhibited 鈥渋mpaired and dangerous driving鈥, coming in at twice the legal limit.
The 38-year-old man will appear in the Manukau District Court on 24 December on charges of impersonating a Police officer and excess breath alcohol.
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