COBB COUNTY, Ga. — The Marietta Police Department is investigating a case involving a man who is charged with impersonating an officer.
It happened overnight last Saturday along Wilson Drive.
An officer spotted Antonio Ocasio walking in the center of the road.
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“I believe this was just an individual trying to get out of a ticket,” Chuck McPhilamy, the Public Information Officer for the Marietta Police Department, said.
Ocasio is accused of telling police he worked as an officer in New York but didn’t provide police with any credentials, then changed his original story about being an officer.
“Depending on the scenario those bad actors that try to pretend to be someone in law enforcement without the right credentials will be held accountable,” McPhilamy said.
The Marietta Police Department, the Cobb County Police Department, and the Acworth Police Department have all investigated similar cases.
In one case, a woman allegedly told a family she was a GBI agent.
“You’ve had everything from individuals driving in a car that looks like it’s a police vehicle. Wearing gear that you see me wearing but that doesn’t have a distinguished name on it,” McPhilamy said.
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In April, a Marietta police officer noticed a man dressed like an officer outside of a nightclub.
“Wearing an outfit that looked almost identical to what I’m wearing today. To the average person going to that club they probably would not have known that he was not a legitimate officer,” McPhilamy said.
Police arrested Raymond Marti and say they found several bags of narcotics on him.
“We want the public to remember this is about trust, if you have questions and it doesn’t seem right trust your instinct call 9-1-1, keep it on speaker, pull into a well-lit parking lot, stay on the phone with 911 until you’ve established this is a legitimate officer,” McPhilamy said.
You can also look out for obvious signs to determine if you’re interacting with a legitimate officer.
“Every officer is going to have a badge and a badge number, they are going to have an agency they represent. You’ll be able to see it from the markings on my sleeve from the patch showing what department, to the name of the department. The obvious things to look for would be a vehicle with the same markings that match the uniform that the officer is wearing or deputy, " McPhilamy said.
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