Woman sends fake cop running when she flags down real Florida sheriff’s deputy, cops say

A bicyclist impersonating a Florida sheriff’s deputy was sent scrambling when his intended victim saw another deputy in traffic and flagged the patrol car down, according to the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.

Her act of defiance happened as the fake cop was trying to confiscate her car, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

It happened just after 9 a.m. Monday, Feb. 13, near Panama City on the Florida Panhandle.

“The victim was driving south on Hwy 77 in her vehicle and drove into a turn lane to turn into a parking lot of a store. (The suspect) was riding on a bicycle and bumped the victim’s car,” the sheriff’s office said. “No damage (was seen) to the car or bicycle. He then got off the bicycle and began yelling at the victim that she was using the wrong turn signal.

“He then demanded she get out of the vehicle and give him it to him because he was a deputy with the Bay County Sheriff’s Office.”

He wore an official Bay County Sheriff’s Office T-shirt at the time, but the woman became suspicious and decided not to comply, officials said.

“The victim spotted a passing Bay County Sheriff’s Office deputy and flagged the deputy down. (The suspect) saw the deputy and rode his bicycle away,” officials said.

He was caught “a short distance away” and identified as Luigi Lucian Michael Morin, a 34-year-old resident of Panama City.

The fake deputy was then arrested by the real deputy and charged with attempted grand theft and impersonating a law enforcement officer, officials said.

An investigation is underway to determine how he got a department shirt, officials said.

This story was originally published February 15, 2023 at 8:04 AM with the headline "Woman sends fake cop running when she flags down real Florida sheriff’s deputy, cops say."