Fireman arrested for imitating officer; Mayflower police chief suspended
A Hilltop Volunteer Fire Department fireman has been arrested on suspicion of imitating a police officer in Mayflower, and Mayflower Chief of Police Richard Shaw has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of a Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office investigation.
According to Lt. Matt Rice of FCSO, investigators were told that someone was using a dog to assist in Mayflower police traffic stops. In looking into the matter over the weekend, Rice said, Sgt. Dalton Elliott found that the person using the dog was 33-year-old John A. Brinkley of 10320 Jacksonville-Conway Road, North Little Rock, according to a FCSO arrest report.
An incident report was pending as of about noon today, but according to the arrest report, Brinkley, a convicted felon, was observed by Elliott at a traffic stop in his personal vehicle with active blue lights while wearing a T-shirt with police markings and a duty belt with a Glock handgun. Brinkley was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm by certain persons, criminal impersonation of a police officer, possession of blue lights and driving on a license suspended for DUI.
Brinkley’s previous felony convictions include three counts felony hot check violation and one count theft of property. He has a jury trial scheduled for Dec. 1 relating to charges of theft of property and fraudulent use of a credit card.
Rice said that under whose authority Brinkley was acting -— if anyone’s — in his participation in the traffic stop remains a matter of investigation. St. Robert Alcon, who is in charge of Mayflower Police Department during Shaw’s leave, said he and his staff had been instructed not to comment on the matter.
Comments (25)
Add commentWTH?
What was this guy thinking? Have the civil servants in this area lost their minds? So you're a fireman, but really wanted to be a cop? Come on. That raises a question. How do you know if the person stopping in an unmarked police car is a real cop? Why did involve the dog in the charade? The everyday citizen doesn't know the difference between a real badge and a fake one. How do you know? Talk about dumb criminals.
Village People?
Maybe he's a really big Village People fan and he left the cowboy, Indian chief, construction worker, biker and military costumes are at home in his closet. Is Mayflower PD hiring? Perhaps, he wants to make a career change, but he was just testing it out before really committed to it. Please, don't tell me that he had a Dalmatian dressed as a German Sheppard? LOL That poor dog must be so confused now. Who knows why people do the crazy things they do?
Traffic Stop
Does anyone know if this was the traffic stop on I-40 Westbound just south of Mayflower? An officer in a brown Tahoe had someone pulled over on the Interstate. Last time I checked Mayflower Police weren't running traffic stops on the freeway that much.
Neither the "cop" nor the dog
Neither the "cop" nor the dog are certified law enforcement officers so any tickets they would have written, etc......wouldn't have been held up in court.
I wonder what charges will be filled on the chief?
i wonder....
i wonder if he knows adam stewart?
How did Faulkner county end
How did Faulkner county end up with all the Barney Fife wanna-be types? If the Police Chief really had knowledge of this and let it continue (or worse, encouraged it) I hope the county/state ensure he never works in law enforcement/government again. How dumb do these people have to be to think no one is watching or they will not get caught?
I40 brown tahoe uc
This was not the same incident, the tahoe is one of the most legit law enforcement officers in this state. But I have to admit this is going to be an interesting investigation, Rice and Elliott will get the info, a little suprised that Alcon did not realize what was happening but I think we have all been fooled at one time or another in our lives. I think I have made as many dumb mistakes as I have done good deeds, but I always strive for better. And lets be glad it was tipped off by someone-before some serious criminals got to walk over a false arrest of illegal search and seizure..(hopefully that has not been the case so far). They will definetely have to throw any of it out that involved this impersonator. Here is "Hoping for the best".
Hilltop Vol Fire Dept.????
What's up with the Hilltop Volunteer Fire Dept.?? Wasn't their fire chief recently arrested by the Faulkner County Sheriff's Office on outstanding warrants? I appreciate the volunteer fire fighters that risk their neck for free, but guys like this give all volunteer fire fighters a bad rap. Volunteers or not, you have to do background checks on your people if you departments out of the bad section of the front page.
Roscoe P. Coletrain
This doesn't surprise me at all. Here lately, since the retirement of the former police chief, the police department has gone to tactics such as a dummy in a police car to slow down motorists. What is next a revolving speed limit sign to catch the Duke boys? Everyday when I go thru town, someone is pulled over, again and again. This town goes thru police officers like candy. Officers don't even know when they pull over a Pastor of the community. I'm not saying that Pastor's should get a free ride but it would be nice to actually "know" our Police staff.
wannabea cop. How many boxes of stupid cereal did he eat ? This
How many boxes of stupid cereal did he eat? This is a great one for Dumbest criminals.... Why wasnt background check done?
You just cant fix stupid?