Salem Man Busted for Impersonating a Police Officer

A Salem man apparently thought he could convince a deputy he was about to become an officer, and therefore only deserved a warning.

29-year old David Hickman Courtesy: Marion County

(SALEM, Ore.) - Marion County Deputy Ethan Griffith says he was driving southbound on Lancaster Drive Satruday around 12:30 p.m., when he conducted a traffic stop on a driver who he observed operating an unsafe vehicle with a large crack in windshield.

He says that as he approached the driver, 29-year old David Hickman, the first thing Hickman said was "shouldn't I be the one giving the tickets?"

Griffith says he was surprised by this statement and asked Hickman what he meant. Hickman reportedly told him he had just been hired by Gresham Police Department two days prior and had his choice between the State Police and the Gresham Police Department. He also said he was scheduled to attend the Police Academy soon. Deputy Griffith says he congratulated him and then returned to his patrol car to complete the traffic citations. He then returned to Hickman's vehicle and explained the citations to him. Hickman said he understood the citations but asked if Deputy Griffith would just issue him a warning because he was a police officer. Deputy Griffith told him no and gave Hickman the traffic citations.

Deputy Griffith then contacted the Gresham Police Department and determined Hickman was not a police officer for Gresham and was not scheduled to attend the Police Academy.

Griffith visited Hickman's Salem home later the same day at 2:00 p.m. and arrested him for Criminal Impersonation of a Police Officer and transported him to the Marion County Jail.

Reports From Iraq

Salem-News.com Top Stories
Environmental Protection Agencies: Federal and State Versions Under Siege

---

PTSD, Marijuana and the Atlantic Magazine

---

Paul Kagame: A General Without Generals

---

Confronting Intimidation, Working for Justice in Palestine

---

Misguided Buddhist Zealots

---

Someone should totally look into who this guy really is he has lied about so many things and who knows what he has lied about from having money to living in a mansion when the real case is he probably lives with his mom and don't got a dime i mean really he may have some good intentions and he seriously needs to get his priority's strait!!!!!!

Okay so really now I have to say this is just a common case of a lie this guy told that finally came back and bit him right in the A## That is Carma its about time!!!!! I just hope maybe it gave him a little common sense to stop lying!!!!LOL......I think that would be a good sign to acknowledge If the police did anything ya may not be a top #1 story but it teaches children and teens lying is not okay!!!!I think we should all give a clap for that!!!

i want to know what out come was he get convicted of it and will he loose his cert like he should people like him should be put away for there own good

I went through my armed DPSST cert with this guy lol we talked a little bit but my instructor called me and told me what happened and to stay away from this guy i think its funny . It takes balls to lie to a cop .

So, Tim and Bonnie, shouldn't someone be doing a story about Marion County's "trained officers" having an inability to read and comprehend the plain language of a statute? This isn't even funny, since it is now costing taxpayers to try to convict someone who clearly has broken no law. And it is giving the MCSO a black eye since they clearly have overzealous cops who like to infringe on the rights of its citizens.

162.367 Criminal impersonation of peace officer. (1) A person commits the crime of criminal impersonation of a peace officer if the person, with the intent to obtain a benefit or to injure or defraud another person, uses false law enforcement identification or wears a law enforcement uniform to give the impression that the person is a peace officer and does an act in that assumed character. (2) Criminal impersonation of a peace officer is a Class C felony. (3) As used in this section: (a) “False law enforcement identification” means a badge or an identification card that: (A) Identifies the possessor of the badge or card as a member of a law enforcement unit; and (B) Was not lawfully issued to the possessor by the law enforcement unit. (b) “Law enforcement uniform” means clothing bearing words such as “police,” “sheriff,” “state trooper” or “law enforcement,” or clothing that is an official uniform or substantially similar to an official uniform of a law enforcement unit that would make it reasonably likely that a person would believe that the wearer is a peace officer. [1993 c.243 §2; 2005 c.259 §1]

This guy grew up close to my house in Troutdale and always had a big imagination. What a moron

Really, now, this is not a case of impersonation. The Marion County deputy should be ashamed of himself for trying to use this charge. Why did he even waste the time checking out the story? Was it wrong? It apparently was a lie. But the charge should have been checked by superiors. The law does not make it an offense to try to get out of tickets by saying that one is going to become a policeman. I see a lawsuit against the MCSO for unlawful arrest. They should have gotten legal opinions, since they clearly have nothing better to do with their time. I thought that the new chief was going to run a tighter ship.

Come on... really? Three words.... deet dee dee....

Some people are just so stupid. Maybe they should cite him for drug use, because that's what it sounds like to me was the case. People make all sorts of stories up in their minds when they are using. Nothing came up on the arrest of the man with the warrant on missions street I assume?

Name:

Enter the text from the image to confirm you are human.(Cookies are required)

HTML tags and certain characters are removed - (numbers, letters only or post may be cut short.) certain words are banned to stop spammers. All comments and messages are approved by people and self promotional links or unacceptable comments are denied.