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Aug 4, 2008 5:41 pm US/Central
Sex Offender Arrested For Posing As Local Cop
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 News) ―
A man wearing a security uniform was standing near the entrance of a private parking lot in the Stockyards early Saturday morning. He was wearing a black shirt labeled "SECURITY POLICE," black tactical pants and a full police belt with a holstered gun, flashlight, pepper spray, handcuffs, radio and badge.
The problem: he was not a police officer at all. In fact, he was a convicted felon, a registered sex offender on parole until 2015.
Authorities arrested Rickey Wayne Anthony in the 2500 block of North Main Street for impersonating a police officer.
Local residents say two main reason people thought Anthony was a cop was because he had a gun and a badge.
At the scene, Anthony admitted to being a convicted felon and in possession of a gun. The gun was loaded with blanks and had a piece of plastic lodged in the barrel.
When asked about his shirt and fake weapon, Anthony responded, "It's a deterrent so people will think I'm a cop." The shirt, according to Anthony, was purchased from a local print shop.
The makeshift outfit didn't fool police. "The closer they got they realized that this guy was wearing a t-shirt that said 'Security Police' and on his tactical gear. That's what really made them suspicious," explained Fort Worth Police Department Lt. Paul Henderson. "He had the look, definitely had the gear, he just didn't have the intelligence."
The owner of a parking lot in the 2500 block of North Main says his employee went "overboard" in his job - as a parking attendant.
According to police, Anthony said that he patrols the parking lot on weekends, writing parking tickets. He then issues parking stubs after customers pay their fees.
After being arrested, Anthony then led police to a second man who was working at a different downtown Fort Worth parking lot. This man, identified by police as Anthony's partner, was wearing a white shirt with the words "SECURITY POLICE," blue athletic shorts and sandals. A similar gun was found in the second suspect's vehicle.
Police are unsure if the fake guns are able to fire live ammunition.
Police caution the public to ask for identification and call 911 if ever in doubt because anyone can be tricked.
Since January, Fort Worth police have had eight reports about fake cops... they've arrested four - including Anthony.
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