Police Stop Truck With Fake Emergency Lights

Florida Escambia County The driver told State Troopers he bought them online for $100 and that he thought they looked cool. The man has not been connected to the counterfeit cop wanted in Escambia County.

by Jamie Burch

Published: Sun, February 01, 2009 - 12:31 pm CST Last Updated: Sun, February 01, 2009 - 1:31 pm CST

Florida State Troopers say a truck they stopped for speeding had fake police lights similar to the counterfeit cop wanted for terrorizing women in Escambia County.

According to Troopers, 20-year-old Eric Garcia of Forty Walton Beach was diving 68 miles per hour Saturday night on SR 87 near River Road in the Holley Community of Santa Rosa County. The speed limit on that stretch of road is 45 mph. As he approached the 2008 black Dodge pickup, Trooper Hendrix noticed red and blue lights mounted in the grill of the truck and a red and blue light sticker on the windshield.

Hendrix asked Garcia if he had any affiliation with any volunteer fire departments or law enforcement agencies. Garcia said he didn't. When asked to explain the lights in his grill, Garcia said he bought them on-line for $100 and that he thought they looked cool
.
Garcia was arrested for speeding and violation of Florida Statute 843.081 (see below). He was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail on a $1000.00 bond.

State Troopers say Garcia’s truck does not match the description of the police impersonator’s vehicle being sought in Escambia County, nor does Garcia’s physical appearance match the description given of the police imposter.

843.081 Prohibited use of certain lights; penalty
(1) The Legislature finds and declares that Florida's citizens are vulnerable to becoming the victims of
criminal acts through the illegal use of blue lights by the criminal elements. It is the intent of the Legislature
to reduce this vulnerability to injury and loss of life and property by prohibiting the use of certain blue lights
by any person other than an authorized law enforcement officer.

(2) It is unlawful for a person to use in or on any non-governmentally owned vehicle or vessel any flashing or
rotating blue light unless such person is a law enforcement officer employed by a federal, state, county, or
city law enforcement agency or is a person appointed by the Governor pursuant to chapter 354.

(3) The provisions of this section shall not apply to sales persons, service representatives, or other employees
of businesses licensed to sell or repair law enforcement equipment.

(4) For the purposes of this section, the term "flashing or rotating blue light" includes all forms of lights
which display a blue light source or which were designed with the intent of displaying a blue light source
whether or not such light is actually in use.

(5) Any person who violates any of the provisions of this section commits a misdemeanor of the first degree,
punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

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mustuknow Says:

Sun, Feb 01, 2009 at 7:57 pm

I know that when I have bought strobes and lights for my vehicles I have had to send in proof of being a current firefighter and it had to be on letterhead and signed by the fire chief. Not always but a couple times the company I ordered from called the county in which I live and verified the fire dept, the fire chiefs name and even went so far as to call him and make sure I was a member in good standing.

It is a shame that anyone can order these type lights off the internet with no verification. I would like to know where he was able to order these lights from without any verification…..

Besides, this guy was 20 years old. He knew that it was not cool to run red and blue lights on his vehicle. He took the time to mount and wire them and it never came to his mind that this might be ILLEGAL?????