Galesburg police charge two men with impersonating a police officer
GALESBURG IL Sept15 2020 — Two men were arrested on charges of impersonating a police officer early Saturday after allegedly pulling over people using a flashing blue and red light.
Galesburg police responded to Cottage Hospital at 2:10 a.m. Saturday where a woman told officers that a man had pulled her over near the intersection of Losey Street and Maple Avenue.
According to a police report, the woman was driving east on Losey Street when a vehicle behind her had flashing blue and red lights, so she pulled over, with the vehicle pulling up behind her. A male came to her driver’s side door and told her he was a police officer and said, “We got you for speeding” and “We are gonna write you a citation.” As he was not in a uniform, she asked him if he was really an officer and he told her he was undercover. When she asked to see his badge, he said, “That’s not necessary.” He told her she could leave and she called 911, meeting the officers at Cottage Hospital. She gave police a detailed description of the suspect
Additionally, a male subject told police on the phone that he was pulled over in the 1400 block of North Henderson Street by a male who asked him, “You know why I pulled you over?” The suspect told the man he was leaking brake light fluid, then laughed and left.
Officers searched the area for the suspect vehicle, locating it at the Wendy’s drive-up, 976 N. Henderson St., which was closed at the time.
The vehicle was driven by William N. Wilson, 34, Wataga, and Michael J. Miller-Boyd, 33, East Moline, was a passenger. Miller-Boyd matched the suspect description by the woman. Police found an LED light that flashes red and blue in the vehicle.
According to the police report, Wilson told officers he had thought the woman was his cousin when they pulled her over, and they left when it wasn’t her.
Miller-Boyd told officers that he had told both drivers they pulled over that it was all a “joke” and said to officers that it was wrong and they shouldn’t have done it.
The police report also noted that Wilson is a registered sex offender. He was convicted in 2008 in Henry County of aggravated criminal sexual abuse with a victim between the ages of 13-16 and has been convicted multiple times of failing to register as a sex offender.
Each man was arrested on a charge of false personification of a police officer and transported to the Knox County jail.
