A Florida man was busted for posing as a cop when he tried to pull over an actual detective, officials said.
Matthew Joseph Erris, 26, was arrested Tuesday after he “decided to play cop” in Plant City with fake squad lights installed on his SUV, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said.
Authorities said a clueless Erris turned on the red and blue lights on his 2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer to stop the car in front of him.
The driver, however, was an undercover Hillsborough County sheriff’s detective in an unmarked car.
Instead of pulling over, the detective called 911 dispatchers to report Erris’ vehicle, according to authorities.
“Deputies did a REAL traffic stop on Erris,” the sheriff’s office said. “They found an airsoft pistol under his passenger seat.”
Erris was charged with impersonating an officer and released Thursday on a $2,000 bond, according to court records.
The sheriff’s office is asking anyone who recognizes Erris and may have been a victim to come forward.



