Chicago teen arrested for impersonating cop, again

(CBS/AP) CHICAGO - A 19-year-old Chicago man is accused of impersonating a police officer -- four years after he tried to do the same thing.

The Cook County State's Attorney's office says Vincent Richardson was arrested Tuesday after allegedly trying to buy a police uniform at a Chicago store.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the clerk became suspicious after the teen kept repeating that he was an officer who worked in Englewood. Upon conducting a Google search of his name, the clerk reportedly realized that he had been charged with impersonating a Chicago police officer before.

The paper reports, when the clerk returned to the counter, Richardson had disappeared, but left behind his wallet, license, debit cards and other IDs with his name on them.

Richardson was arrested at approximately 2:15 p.m. at the uniform store, police said.

"I know what it's like to be one of you," Richardson reportedly told the arresting officers. "I respect you because I did it for a day chasing and helping people. My intentions are never to hurt people, just to help."

In 2009, when Richardson was only 14, he wore a police uniform to a Chicago police station and was issued a radio and sent out in a squad car. He spent hours on patrol and helped make an arrest.

His ruse was discovered by a supervisor who noticed Richardson wasn't in full uniform and didn't have a gun.

Richardson was placed on juvenile probation. He was later convicted as an adult in an unrelated gun case.

His court hearing in the most recent incident is scheduled for Thursday. He is reportedly charged with a felony count of impersonating a police officer and faces up to three years behind bars.