Racine man arrested for allegedly pretending to be police officer

RACINE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Anthony Burright, 27, of Racine has been taken into custody for allegedly pretending to be a police officer.

Officers from the Mount Pleasant Police Department responded to help a motorist who was disabled in traffic on Thursday afternoon.

Upon arrival, officers located the disabled vehicle and noticed a vehicle blocking traffic with red and white flashing lights.

"They noticed this Black Ford Explorer which appeared to look like an undercover law enforcement vehicle. They thought it looked a little bit odd," said Matt Soens, interim chief for Mount Pleasant Police. 

When the officers approached the vehicle with flashing lights, it fled the scene.

Officers were able to obtain a plate number. They learned that the Black Ford Explorer was listed to Burright who had been arrested in 2017 for impersonating a police officer and later charged with disorderly conduct. 

Officers were able to locate Burright on Highway 20 near Highway 31. 

He was taken into custody but has not officially been charged. The district attorney's office is reviewing the case. 

The person who was in the disabled vehicle told police that they believed Burright was an undercover officer. 

Interim Chief Soens said if you think the person stopping you isn't an legitimate officer, you can confirm with a dispatch center or call 911, in an emergency. 

"The dispatch center can verify whether that officer checked out there and if they didn’t, we would have a problem and we can send an officer to check on this," Soens said.