A man driving what looked like a law enforcement vehicle ended up on the wrong side of a real traffic stop in San Joaquin County.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) busted Kevin Michael Silva last Monday after he allegedly tried to fake being a sheriff’s deputy while driving drunk.
A CHP Stockton officer, working a routine construction detail Monday night on State Route 99 near Yosemite Avenue, spotted the black-and-white cruiser blocking the roadway.
The vehicle bore the distinct markings of a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office patrol car, with one major tell: It was hundreds of miles away from LA County.
“As the CHP officer attempted to make contact, the unauthorized LASO patrol vehicle drove away, and the CHP officer stopped it at the Yosemite Avenue off-ramp,” the CHP wrote in a social media post.
The cops confirmed that Silva was alone in the vehicle and not a member of any law enforcement agency. He was also allegedly high intoxicated during the entire run and chase.
Silva was booked on charges of DUI and operating an unauthorized law enforcement patrol vehicle.
The CHP advises people to notice emergency lights and a siren on a law enforcement vehicle to determine its legitimacy.
“If you’re unsure whether the person stopping you is a police officer, call 9-1-1 to verify that the traffic stop is legitimate,” CHP Stockton added.
