California security guards at festival charged with police impersonation
SAN LEANDRO CA June 6 2019 — A 20-year-old Oakland man detained in a police-style uniform at a weekend festival was arrested and later charged by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office for impersonating a police officer, firearms violations, and violating probation, authorities said Tuesday.
In a statement, San Leandro police described a video posted to Instagram on Saturday during the city’s Cherry Festival as showing officers taking two uniform-wearing people into custody, with one uniformed person later taken to a patrol vehicle.
Around 10 a.m. Saturday, officers patrolling the festival in the city’s downtown saw Sergio Taylor, 20, dressed in a uniform, wearing a ballistic vest, duty belt, firearm, ammunition and Taser, and accompanied by a German Shepherd dog.
Officers recognized Taylor from photos included in a recent alert Berkeley police shared with local police departments about an outstanding arrest warrant for firearm-related offenses and a probation violation linked to a May 12 arrest at a Southside Berkeley bar and grill.
Taylor briefly managed to get into a black 2013 Ford Taurus with security markings on its exterior and drive away with the dog in the backseat, and a passenger, identified as John Payne, 39, of Oakland.
But officers soon stopped the Ford and took Taylor, who wore a black uniform with police-style patches and insignia, a “K-9 Unit” patch on its back, and a badge and his name embroidered on its front. Although the shirt identified him as an employee of an Oakland-based security company, the shirt was made by a major police uniform manufacturer and closely resembled those worn by sworn uniformed law enforcement officers.
When officers searched under the front seat of the Taurus, they found a Glock semi-automatic pistol replica that could not fire ammunition, but still contained a magazine with 10 rounds of live 9mm ammunition inside. Officers also found a number of similar magazines on Taylor
“This was a dangerous situation, as Taylor looked like a police officer, yet he is not, and he was carrying a Taser, replica firearm and live ammunition, which he is prohibited from possessing,” San Leandro police Lt. Robert McManus said Tuesday night.
“Unfortunately, most people would not be able to tell the difference between this impersonator and a real police officer.”
Officers arrested Payne on suspicion of delaying their investigation, and will meet with the district attorney to weigh possible charges against him. Officers cared for the dog until it could be released to one of Taylor’s family members later in the weekend.
Police also said Taylor was on probation in connection with conviction for prior offenses, including a previous police-impersonation incident and possession of a replica firearm.
In a probable-cause statement provided by the district attorney’s office Tuesday, a San Leandro police officer said that a man had agreed Dec. 29, 2017 to sell Taylor a 2008 Harley Davidson motorcycle, and that Taylor came to his Alvarado Street business that day dressed in a tactical outer carrier, ballistic vest, badge and empty firearm holster.
After claiming to be a Department of Homeland Security agent, Taylor gave the man a $10,000 check, which a bank declared fraudulent.
Taylor promised the man a second check, and the two met near International Boulevard and 21st Avenue in Oakland. After driving up in an unmarked white Ford Crown Victoria, Taylor gave the man a new check before showing off a range of tactical gear and claiming to perform investigations and raids.
When that check bounced, the man called and texted Taylor 50 times without success or the return of the motorcycle. Both checks were canceled for insufficient funds.
Police arrested Taylor Jan. 4, 2018 outside his home in the 1700 block of 102nd Avenue in Oakland on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle, passing of fraudulent checks, and misrepresenting himself as a peace officer. Officers found the man’s Harley parked on a nearby sidewalk, and a warrant search of Taylor’s home yielded ballistic vests, holsters, a replica firearm and law-enforcement paraphernalia.
Taylor, whose occupation was listed as a security guard, was in custody Tuesday at Santa Rita Jail without bail and facing a Wednesday arraignment at Dublin’s East County Hall of Justice, according to a county records check.
East Bay Times
