Presenting yourself as a police officer when you are not law enforcement usually results in felony Impersonating a Peace Officer charges in Fort Collins and Larimer County. A woman was recently charged with this crime, after repeatedly presenting herself as an undercover officer to get a discount at Chick-fil-A. According to the report, the woman, after unsuccessfully getting her discount in the drive-thru, entered the restaurant and flashed a silver badge, saying she was an undercover officer. The restaurant explained that their policy is to give the discount to officers in uniform. The woman claimed that asking her to wear her uniform could get her killed. She even went so far as to call Chick-fil-A’s corporate line to complain. She caused such a scene, that the real police were called and the woman was arrested for Impersonating a Peace Officer.
Larimer County Impersonating a Peace Officer Lawyer: Definition of Impersonation of a Police Officer
The Larimer and Boulder County, Colorado law definition of Impersonating a Peace Officer – C.R.S. 18-8-112 – is:
By representing herself as an officer of the law, flashing a badge, and demanding a perk that is only allotted for real law enforcement officers, the woman was charged with this crime.
Sentence for Impersonating a Peace Officer in Loveland and Estes Park
In Fort Collins, Loveland, and Estes Park, Impersonating a Police Officer is a class 6 felony. This level felony is punishable by 12 to 18 months in the Colorado Department of Corrections and up to $100,000 in fines. Because police officers hold a position of trust within the community, pretending to have that position of trust when it has not been earned is seen as dangerous, which is why the crime is punished so harshly. We have even seen cases where a former law enforcement officer is charged for presenting himself as a current officer of the law. Seems crazy, but it happens.