ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Police in Maryland have arrested a man they say identified himself as a police officer and threatened to arrest a woman if she didn’t give him money.
News outlets report Anne Arundel County police say 53-year-old James Ewing Menke of Pasadena is charged with impersonating a police officer and extortion.
Investigators say a woman told officers that a man visited her hotel room, identified himself as a police officer and demanded that she pay him not to arrest her. Officers found Menke in possession of a pepper spray canister marked “POLICE” in white letters, a stun gun with a “POLICE” sticker and a small portable radio.
Authorities say Menke has never been a local police officer. His legal status couldn’t be determined on Thursday.
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