“He looks relatively legitimate. As a lay person, you’re not going to figure it out,” one former sheriff said
NEED TO KNOW
- A man has been charged with criminal impersonation after he allegedly identified himself as a police officer
- Michael A. Scaletta-Teates, 49, allegedly showed up at multiple active police scenes and identified himself as an off-duty police detective in Edmonds, Wash.
- “He looks relatively legitimate. As a lay person, you’re not going to figure it out,” former King County Sheriff John Urquhart said of Scaletta-Teates’ appearance
A man in Washington has been charged with criminal impersonation after he allegedly identified himself as a police officer — and showed up to real law enforcement calls.
According to the Bremerton Police Department (BPD), located about 30 miles outside of Seattle, 49-year-old Michael A. Scaletta-Teates arrived at an active police scene on Sept. 5 wearing body armor with “POLICE” and “SWAT” logos, as well as a metal police badge from the nearby city of Edmonds. He was also driving an unmarked car with blue lights.
Police said Scaletta-Teates identified himself as an off-duty police detective in Edmonds. Body camera footage taken during his encounter with officers shows that they were suspicious about his identity after he showed up to a trespassing call and a reported fire in a parking garage…