FORT WORTH, TX –

They had guns (albeit air pistols.) They even had flashing red and blue lights in their car, realistic enough to get at least two motorists to pull over, police say. What they didn’t bargain for was some unwanted assistance by the real thing.

Two men were arrested early Thursday on suspicion of impersonating officers after police say they pulled over a motorist within sight of Fort Worth police officers who initially believed that the traffic stop was real and tried to help.

Nasr Emad Saleh, 18, of Arlington and Lonnie Lee Berry III, 19, of Fort Worth were booked into the Mansfield Jail on Thursday with bail set at $5,000 each.

Lt. Dean Sullivan, police spokesman, said officers believe that the two men had pulled over another male motorist in Fort Worth earlier that morning. He said that based on interviews with the men, police are investigating whether they may have impersonated officers in Arlington and White Settlement. He said the motive is still unknown.

Shortly after 2 a.m. Thursday, a Fort Worth officer patrolling in the 2700 block of East Lancaster Avenue spotted what appeared to be an unmarked police vehicle – its blue and red lights flashing – chasing a Kia eastbound on Lancaster.

The officer turned around to offer assistance, watching as the 1999 black Ford Taurus pulled the motorist over in the 3500 block of East Lancaster Avenue.

There, he and another responding officer looked on as a man, wearing a black T-shirt with sheriff in bold white lettering on the front, stepped out of the Taurus and approached the male driver of the car he had just stopped. The man, later identified as Saleh, was wearing a gold, six-pointed star-shaped badge on his shirt and a black holster containing what appeared to be a semiautomatic pistol, Sullivan said. “As Fort Worth officers looked on, that presumed sheriff’s deputy conducted himself in much the manner a legitimate law enforcement officer would on a traffic stop,” Sullivan said. But, Sullivan said, “everything is not always as it appears.” He said that as the officers continued to watch, they grew suspicious. For one thing, the second man stayed in the Taurus.
“Most officers’ partners are not hesitant to back up their fellow officer, especially given the late hour and darkness of the area,” Sullivan said.
Then, as one of the officers approached the Taurus, he noticed the car’s red and blue lights were not standard-issue and were mounted in an unusual location. In fact, police would find out, the lights had merely been taped to the interior door frames. Sullivan said the officer asked the man what agency he worked for, but the man did not respond. Upon closer inspection of the badge, officers noticed that it did not appear to be real. Police later found a $9.99 price tag on the back, Sullivan said. When asked about the gun in his holster, the man replied, “It’s just a BB gun,” Sullivan said.

When the officers noticed the second man in the Taurus, who was also wearing a sheriff T-shirt, reaching under his seat, they drew their guns, ordered both men to raise their hands and arrested them. Under the passenger’s seat, police found a silver pellet pistol.

The driver of the Kia told Fort Worth police that he had been told he was pulled over because he was speeding.

(copied from www.policelink.com)

Two VERY dumb teens. Good way to get shot.

Oh brother.

oh jeez....

Dumb dumbs.

sounds like a case of the wrong thing for the right reason.

Like Forrest Gump says: "Stupid is what stupid does"

Wow, those guys are, obviously, the dumbasses

What the heck? hahahaha

Damn... they could have qualified for a Darwin Award if they just reached under the seat a little longer.

They're lucky they didn't get themselves killed.