Attempted traffic stop on off-duty military member leads to arrest of police impersonator in Baltimore County
A Maryland man was arrested for impersonating a police officer after he tried to conduct a traffic stop on an off-duty military member in Baltimore County, State Police said Thursday.
Eric Baummer, 59, of Mount Airy, is facing charges after police said he tried to stop a vehicle on Interstate 695 Tuesday. He was driving a black Ford Explorer at the time.
An attorney for Baummer is not yet listed in court records.
Fake traffic stop
A driver called troopers around 4:40 p.m. to report that a Ford was trying to pull him over near the outer loop of I-695 at Washington Boulevard.
The caller was later identified as an off-duty member of military law enforcement, troopers said.
A preliminary investigation revealed that the driver called 911 after the Ford activated blue and white flashing lights. The driver did not pull over, troopers said.
The driver said the Ford, driven by Baummer, drove past and changed lanes in front of him before getting off I-695 at Hollins Ferry Road.
According to police, the driver followed Baummer to a gas station in the 4300 block of Hollins Ferry Road in Lansdowne.
State troopers and Baltimore County police quickly responded and arrested Baummer.
The investigation is ongoing, and anyone who may have experienced a similar encounter is asked to call police at 410-780-2700.
Police impersonator in Harford County
This incident comes nearly a week after a man was arrested in Harford County for impersonating an officer in a shopping center.
Robert Dicocco, 56, was charged with 10 offenses after police said he pulled into a Joppatowne shopping center to get food with police lights activated on his SUV, Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler said.
When deputies questioned Dicocco, he provided what appeared to be official credentials. However, deputies noticed that when he went into a restaurant, he had a gun on display, but when he left, it was concealed, an action that is illegal in Maryland.
Deputies checked with State Police and learned there was no officer by the name of Dicocco.
During his arrest, multiple fake law enforcement items were found, including vest badges, ID cards and the emergency lights on his SUV.
