A Washington man is facing serious charges after allegedly pretending to be a police officer and even showing up to real emergency calls.
According to the Bremerton Police Department, 49-year-old Michael A. Scaletta-Teates arrived at active police scenes on Sept. 5 wearing body armor labeled with “POLICE” and “SWAT,” carrying a badge from the nearby city of Edmonds, and driving an unmarked car with flashing blue lights. Officers said he introduced himself as an off-duty detective with Edmonds Police.
Body camera footage shows officers were initially fooled. “I thought you were one of our detectives at first,” one Bremerton officer told him, according to KOMO and KING 5. But suspicions grew when Scaletta-Teates popped up at multiple scenes, including a trespassing call and a parking garage fire.
Investigators later learned he wasn’t an officer at all. He was actually working private security at a Salvation Army — and had a felony conviction that made it illegal for him to carry a firearm. Police said they found a large amount of police equipment in his possession when he was arrested.
Witnesses told officers that Scaletta-Teates often acted intimidating, showing up at places like a local 7-Eleven and even claiming he was responsible for checking people into a homeless shelter. One neighbor admitted he believed for months that Scaletta-Teates was a real cop. “Even my friends always thought he was Edmonds police,” the resident told KING 5.
“He looks relatively legitimate,” former King County Sheriff John Urquhart explained. “As a lay person, you’re not going to figure it out.”
Scaletta-Teates has now been charged with first-degree criminal impersonation and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. He pleaded not guilty in court on Sept. 8, and a judge set his bail at $50,000.
Police are urging anyone who may have had a suspicious run-in with him to come forward. They also reminded the public to always verify an officer’s identity by asking for a name and badge number, calling 911 to confirm, or pulling over in a safe, well-lit spot if being stopped while driving.
All these freaks with delusions of grandeur, ruining our society.
He should be removed from society