Colorado Cadet under investigation for impersinating an officer

[isuhawkeye]

http://www.wgal.com/news/13585777/detail.html#

http://www.hamsexy.com/cms/?p=862


Recently the internet blogger community brought to light the illegal actions of some teenagers in Colorado. 

This group of young men decked out there personal vehicles with red and white flashing lights.  They then proceeded to dress as emergency responders and "assist" motorists on the highways. 

You will notice that one of these young men wears wind breakers with CAP on the back.  This same young man also sports a drop thigh holster. 

[Pylon]

The last time I checked, the CAP was a CIVILIAN auxilliary group of senile old men reminiscing about the Great War and pimply-faced kids in festooned uniforms with Chuck Yeager pipe-dreams.

From this thread.

Wonderful how our reputation preceeds us, isn't it?    Wonder which of those two categories I fall into?   

[isuhawkeye]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1297414080556352887

Heres the video

[capchiro]

Unfortunately, we have a group of potentially good youngsters that are slightly misdirected.  Without the lights (which may or may not be legal in their state), the CAP jacket (whether he is a member or not, that is a no-no), and the possible weapon (which we never see), we have a group of youngsters that are attempting to do some good and not harm for a change.  They are a little bit reminiscent of the Guardian Angels that ride the subways in New York and some of the bigger cities.  With a little bit of direction, they could be conceived to be Good Samaratans for their actions.  However, they are also appearing to be trying to grab hero status and, although not necessarily a bad thing, it needs to be cleaned up a bit.   I really don't think they are impersonating an officer (and I don't want to start any flames, but I don't see police officers stopping to help people along the road, no changing tires, etc., like in the old day), but are out on the road to offer assistance.  I would imagine they would be appreciated in icy cold weather in their area of the country.  Maybe a unified youth action of something like this would be good, get our gangs off the streets and get our clean cut helpful youngsters on the road??  In the old day, also, some of the hot rod car clubs were pledged to help motorist on the road as part of their club membership.

[Chris Jacobs]

The police could work with them instead of trying to stop them.  As capchiro said they just need a little direction.  If they really like the cool looking lights let them keep them.  Maybe make them give up the drop leg and the official looking jackets, but besides that let them go.  Why not use them while they are still excited about the game.

[jimmydeanno]

I don't think they way these gentlemen did this is the right way to go about it.  However, I'd like to bring up another thing...the title of the thread.

The title implies that the cadet is under investigation for impersonating an officer.  But, directly from the news article you posted:

Colorado State Patrol troopers said one of the men was a Longmont volunteer firefighter, so he was allowed to have the flashing red and white lights on his vehicle.

Troopers said the men probably won't face police impersonation charges because they did not represent themselves as officers

perhaps a more fitting title would be:
[Colorado Cadet possibly facing ticket for running a stop sign.]

but they could face traffic charges for the driving seen in the video.

No sense in creating an overreactive situation - you did see the most recent letter from the CC right?

[Sgt. Savage]

Having nothing better to do for a few minutes, I read an entire thread on this at Elightbar.com. Some very discouraging things being said about CAP. This kind of thing definitely brings discredit upon our organization. I'll likely post them to set the story straight.

[Major Carrales]

Having nothing better to do for a few minutes, I read an entire thread on this at Elightbar.com. Some very discouraging things being said about CAP. This kind of thing definitely brings discredit upon our organization. I'll likely post them to set the story straight.

CAP gets a bad rap at many forums.  That is why I get so angry when people start non-sense here and at other "in organization" forums.

[mikeylikey]

I am curious what will happen to these people.  They are lucky no one shot them.  If I saw three kids walking up to me, and I were stranded on the side of the road, and they pulled up in three separate vehicles......I would get that nervous twitch and prepare to confront them.  There are too many crazies out there. 

At the least the one wearing the CAP jacket......if a member of CAP should have his membership terminated immediately.

I suspect that the "they were trying to help motorists" take on the issue was invented by a very awesome lawyer hired after these kids were charged. 

MAKE AN EXAMPLE OUT OF THEM!

[Major Carrales]

In Texas, a person can be cited for "failing to render aid."

[capchiro]

back to the title of the thread, do we know for sure if any of them are cadets?  If not, why does it say "Colorado Cadet"?  Perhaps the volunteer firemand is a cadet fireman??   

[stillamarine]

One of the involved was a cadet in Bismark ND at some point.

[JohnKachenmeister]

Their actions were dumb, immature, and unsafe, but not illegal.  They were allowed to have the red lights (But I don't think for much longer) and they didn't identify themselves as police.

Turning on flashing lights when you stop to aid a motorist on a highway may not be a bad idea.  If I were a volunteer fireman, and I stopped to give aid to a stranded motorist in the winter on a highway, I sure would turn on everything that lit up.

It sounds like there are a few "Drama queens" working at that news station.  The guys didn't do that much wrong.

The video was really dumb, though.

[Flying Pig]

These guys are lucky they arent dead.   I have arrested several violent people when the encounter started just as those encounters did on the video. 

I dont know what the guy had in his leg holster, but the thing that concerns me is that every time he walked up on the car, he had his hand on whatever it was.  Another issue, they were using a basic contact and cover set up.  The guy in the CAP jacket stays back while the other guy contacts, then walks backward convering his partner as the leave the encounter.    That is a Law Enforcement vehicle stop tactic.  Also, a blue jacket with bold yellow lettering?  C'mon.   Thats a law enforcement raid jacket set up, coloring, style and all.
You pull up behind someone on the road with red light flashing, you better be ready for a gun fight.

Law Enforcement does not need to work with these guys as one person suggested. These guys needed to be reigned in.   If they want to put a yellow light on and drive around assisting people, fine, but not full Code 3 stobes.  They had no idea who they were walking up on.

Although they were contacting parked/disabled vehicles, those guys WERE conducting vehicle stops from a TACTICAL standpoint and were totally unprepared for what could have happened.

"Conduct every vehicle stop extending the olive branch of peace, while having a tactical plan to kill everyone in the vehicle"  -Gordon Graham.

[mikeylikey]

^  Now that you pointed that out (the approach they used), I went back and looked at it.......and YUP you are correct!  They most likely got together and said lets play policeman/ LEO.  I hope they use they videos against them in court.  How stupid are people?  Really?? 

[isuhawkeye]

This is not necessarily an isolated incident.  As squadron staff I had the experience of confronting a cadet who showed up with a red light on his dash, and home made door decals.  This cadet's response was that he was using the material to help motorists on his way to the squadron meeting. 

After some investigation it came to my attention that this young man was under investigation for impersonating an officer while committing a felony.

[sardak]

If they really like the cool looking lights let them keep them.

Colorado Revised Statute (CRS) 42-4-238. Blue and red lights - illegal use or possession.
(1) A person shall not be in actual physical control of a vehicle, except an authorized emergency vehicle as defined in section 42-1-102 (6), that the person knows contains a lamp or device that is designed to display, or that is capable of displaying if affixed or attached to the vehicle, a red or blue light visible directly in front of the center of the vehicle.

(2) It shall be an affirmative defense that the defendant was:

(a) A peace officer as described in section 16-2.5-101, C.R.S.; or
They were not.

(b) In actual physical control of a vehicle expressly authorized by a chief of police or sheriff to contain a lamp or device that is designed to display, or that is capable of displaying if affixed or attached to the vehicle, a red or blue light visible from directly in front of the center of the vehicle; or
They were not.

(c) A member of a volunteer fire department or a volunteer ambulance service who possesses a permit from the fire chief of the fire department or chief executive officer of the ambulance service through which the volunteer serves to operate a vehicle pursuant to section 42-4-222 (1) (b)
They were not.

Even if they were one of the above,
CRS 42-4-222. Volunteer firefighters - volunteer ambulance attendants - special lights and alarm systems
Said lights, together with any signal systems authorized by this subsection (1), may be used only as authorized by subsection (3) of this section or when a member of a fire department is responding to or attending a fire alarm or other emergency or when a member of an ambulance service is responding to an emergency requiring the member's services. Except as authorized in subsection (3) of this section, neither such lights nor such signals shall be used for any other purpose than those set forth in this subsection.

The driver, who was a former member of the local emergency unit, is a CAP cadet.

Mike

[BillB]

WIWAC there was an agreement with the County Sheriff and CAP. Cadets were made "Junior Patrolman" or some such title. They did not have red lights, but they did travel the U.S. and state highways in the County. They had a battery, battery cable, a 5 gallon gas can and a tank of compressed air to assist motorists that broke down. This program was in place for a year or two, until cadets got tired of using their gas to make the trips. Normally they were in a CAP uniform (Wing gave approval), but at one point the sheriff issued a badge of some sort to be worn on a khaki uniform with no CAP insignia. If I remember they assisted an average of 10 motorists a month.

[Flying Pig]

www.liveleak.com/view?i=5f97e463a2

Or you could roll up on a simple traffic accident with your CAP Raid jacket  to render aid, hoping only for a small Lifesaving Medal in return......

[LtCol White]

You hate to put a damper on people helping eachother but these cadets don't realize the dangers out there that we (LE's) face everyday in traffic. Traffic stops are the leading cause of deaths of LE's. Not just through violence but from accidents that result from other motorists not paying attention and slamming into the stopped vehicles.