Man charged with impersonating officer after allegedly trying to pull over undercover deputy

PLANT CITY, Fla. (FOX 13) - A Pasco County man was arrested and accused of being a fake cop Tuesday -- and even trying to pull over an undercover Hillsborough County detective.

Investigators said Matthew Erris, 26, was driving down Paul Buchman Highway when he activated emergency lights attached to his Chevrolet Trailblazer.

"He had a light bar on top of his car, he had lights flashing in the grill, so from behind, it definitely looked realistic," said Crystal Clark, a spokesperson for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Clark told FOX 13 the detective continued to drive while putting in a call to dispatch. Uniformed deputies pulled Erris over down the road.

Deputies said they made a surprising discovery in Erris' vehicle: An Airsoft pellet handgun that looked a lot like a real weapon.

"He not only had police lights on top of his car, but he also had a fake gun, which could have ended really badly if he had gotten out of his car and approached a detective with that weapon," Clark said. "When a deputy actually asked him why was he turning on those lights, he said he wanted to use it to get through heavy traffic."

Erris, however, characterized the encounter as a misunderstanding. In a Facebook conversation, he told FOX 13 he was not trying to pull anyone over.

He said he provides roadside assistance and saw a driver who appeared to be in need of help. Erris said he activated his lights, which he said are yellow and white on the top of his vehicle, to turn around and go back to lend the driver a hand.

"I love helping people, especially when they're broken down on the side of the road," he wrote. "I like to be that person that somebody can count on."

Erris is charged with impersonating an officer, which is a felony.