Man accused of impersonating deputy over parking dispute

HUDSON (FOX 13) - Investigators said Scott Ziegler, 53, was annoyed that people continued to park in the dirt lot next to his house. According to the sheriff's office, he sat in the lot Wednesday and waited with fake lights and a badge to pull over any driver who pulled in.

"He activated his blue lights. The vehicle pulled over and he identified himself as an off-duty police officer and showed them a badge," said Cpl. Arthur Madden, explaining what happened.

Ziegler ultimately gave the driver a so-called "warning." The driver, however, was left with an unsettled feeling and called 911.

Not long after that, Ziegler was in handcuffs.

"Any time they skew our image or our name it's now a disadvantage that we got to overcome, even though we had no part in doing it," Madden said. "To just willy nilly for whatever their reasons are to act like this, it's unacceptable."

This is the second case like this in about a month in Pasco County. In late June, John Dawson also conducted a fake traffic stop that was caught on cell phone video. He turned himself in after seeing himself on FOX 13.

FOX 13 stopped by Ziegler's Hudson home just as several people were getting into a car. They refused to stop and speak with our news crew as they drove away.