A Mesquite man is in jail after police say he was impersonating an officer when he allegedly pulled up behind a vehicle early Wednesday on Interstate 30 and flashed red and blue lights.
The only problem was the driver of the vehicle he pulled up behind was an off-duty Dallas police officer.
The incident occurred at about 4 a.m. along eastbound I-30 near Dolphin Road, police said, as 22-year-old Charles Troutman was in a Chevrolet pickup truck, with Texas license plate CZX-6848, that approached the officer's personal vehicle.
The off-duty officer was suspicious, so he pulled over to the shoulder and called 9-1-1, police said.
The pickup truck continued driving, so the officer followed into Mesquite, describing the truck's location to the 9-1-1 dispatcher.
Mesquite police stopped the truck and arrested Troutman, charging him with impersonating a public servant, which is a third-degree felony, and possession of marijuana.
Investigators ask anyone who has been stopped by Troutman to call Dallas Police Detective Ed Lujan at 214-671-3548.
