HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A 35-year-old man was arrested on the Fourth of July on charges of impersonating a public officer after he pulled over an off-duty sheriff's deputy.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Barry Lee Hastings, Jr. was driving a black Crown Victoria when he pulled up next to an off-duty Lee County Sheriff's Office deputy just before 8:30 p.m. local time on Thursday.
After Hastings and the off-duty deputy pulled off to the shoulder, Hastings told the deputy he needed to "slow down."
The deputy then asked Hastings for his credentials. Hastings told him "he was a law enforcement officer and his credentials were at the office." He said the deputy could follow him back to the "station" where Hastings would show the officer his credentials.
At that point, the deputy dialed 911 and Hastings fled. Shortly after exiting the highway, a Hillsborough County deputy stopped Hastings and detained him while officials interviewed the off-duty deputy.
"A functional siren box and light setup, similar to HCSO's, was discovered within the Crown Victoria. There was also a CB radio. No handcuffs or firearms were located in the vehicle," the Sheriff's Office said.
Hastings was arrested for impersonating a public officer.
This story was originally published by Shanise Wallace on WFTS in Tampa, Florida.