Police impersonator arrested for pulling over a real cop

A man pretending to be a police officer was arrested after he pulled over a real policeman.

Maryland resident Anthony Kenneth Mastrogiovanni was driving his white pickup truck in Upper Marlboro Wednesday when he tried to perform a traffic stop on a Capitol Height policeman driving a personal vehicle.

After the man identified himself as a policeman, Mastrogiovanni, 29, told him that he was a military policeman from Louisiana and that he was speeding. The officer told Mastrogiovanni that he was out of his jurisdiction and that having blue and red emergency equipment in his truck was against Maryland law.

Mastrogiovanni then fled the scene.

The officer called Prince George County police and followed him until they arrived.

He was subsequently arrested and charged with impersonating a police officer, although he was later released on personal recognizance.

Authorities ask that anyone who may have been stopped or harassed by Mastrogiovanni to call Prince George’s County Police at (301) 856-3130.

Anyone who wishes to be anonymous can call Crime Solvers at 1-866-411 TIPS (8477), text "PGPD plus your message" to CRIMES (274637) on your cell phone, or go to http://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/police/.