Man arrested after pretending to be undercover cop at National 9 Inn

Man arrested after pretending to be undercover cop at National 9 Inn
 
GILLETTE (WNE) — A 33-year-old man was arrested after claiming he was an undercover cop at the National 9 Inn at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday.
A 26-year-old desk clerk reported there was an armed man in the lobby. The suspect told the employee that he was afraid of the “Mexican mafia,” said Undersheriff Quentin Reynolds. The clerk told dispatch that the man had left a Taurus 9mm on the counter before going into the office.
When deputies arrived, they interviewed the clerk and another witness, who said the suspect told them he was an undercover cop doing a drug buy, and that something bad was about to happen. He told them he was armed with a 9mm, and that he needed backup. The witnesses didn’t feel comfortable and asked him to place his gun on the counter, which he did, Reynolds said.
The suspect had approached another person, a 34-year-old woman, moments earlier while she was alone in a hallway. He told her that he was an undercover cop and that he needed to get her somewhere safe. She went into the lobby, where the witnesses sat her down and told her to stay in the lobby, Reynolds said.
The suspect told the three people to stay in the lobby, and that they needed to lock the doors to the lobby. 
The man, who was drunk at the time, was arrested for impersonating a peace officer, which is a misdemeanor, and deputies took his gun and entered it into evidence, Reynolds said.
 
 
This story was published on July 5, 2022.