Man pretends to be cop, orders Ogden grocery..

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

A 38-year-old man found himself in real police custody moments after he walked into an Ogden grocery store and said he was a member of a narcotics strike force.

Police said the man, wearing a bandana and a handkerchief across his face, went Friday night into the Carniceria store on 31st Street and informed the manager that he was a strike force agent and he wanted drugs or he'd shut the business down.

The manager demanded to see the man's badge, but the man said he had forgotten to bring it. The manager called police.

A police officer happened to be nearby and caught up with the man as he was trying to pedal away on a bicycle. As the man tried to ride away, the officer chased the man down on foot and captured him after the man jumped off the bike and ran into a fence.

Police said the man told officers that he had targeted the store because he believed the shop was selling methamphetamine on the side.

The man was arrested on suspicion of impersonating an officer and avoiding apprehension.

jstecklein@sltrib.com

Twitter @sltribjanelle

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