ReadBetweenTheLines

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When things like this happen, it makes me embarrassed to admit I am from Northwest Indiana. Honestly, I am embarrassed this happened and more embarrassed the NWI Times thinks this poorly written, nonsensical article is news! Man Posed as Cop for Coin Deal? That’s the title of the article? Really?? Soooooo….he walked into the pawn shop dressed in a cop costume, flashed a plastic badge he bought at Wal-Mart and said “I’m a cop. Gimme a good deal on these coins or I’m going to arrest you?” Perhaps Ms. Joyce Russell accidentally left that paragraph out. Or more likely, he wasn’t “posing” as a cop at all.

For this to be a Class D felony, Mr. Doyle would have had to be wearing “…without authority any uniform, badge or shield by which such police officer is lawfully distinguished, with intent to induce another person to submit to such pretended official authority or otherwise to act in reliance upon that pretense” ( Sec. 53a-130a. Impersonation of a police officer: Class D felony). I don’t think requesting a reasonable deal on a coin collection qualifies as intending to “induce a person to submit to such pretended official authority” or acting in “reliance upon that pretense.” Pawn shop owners are some of the biggest crooks in existence! Do you really think someone would pretend to be a POLICE OFFICER to gain respect from a PAWN SHOP!? The fact that this resulted in a call to police, followed by police tracking Mr. Doyle to another location (which implies he left without incident), followed by an arrest, followed by a feature article with a giant picture in the NWI Times is just absurd.

Hey Joyce and Portage PD, how about you focus on the fact that the city of Portage has seen a steady increase in both violent and property crimes over the past 12 years. Why don’t you address the fact Portage is in the 87th percentile for violent crime in Indiana. Stop wasting your time harassing the residents that supply your salary despite the obviously $hi++y job you are doing at “serving and protecting.” Shame on you, local businesses. Shame on you, Portage Police. And shame on you, NWI Times for wasting space reporting on an obviously bogus “crime”. I think an apology is owed to the Doyle family and all the readers of this newspaper. We expect more from you!

October 25, 2012 10:42 am on Police: Man posed as cop for coin deal