Man is charged with impersonating police officer, showing gun while pulling over motorist

A 51-year-old man accused of pulling over a vehicle on Interstate 70 and acting as if he were a police officer, with handgun drawn, has been charged with impersonating an officer, according to Jackson County prosecutors.

Willie O. Zimmerli is charged with false impersonation of a law enforcement officer and driving with a revoked driver’s license, both misdemeanors.

According to court documents, Kansas City police were called Wednesday when a motorist reported being pulled over on I-70 near Blue Ridge Cutoff by a man in a Ford Crown Victoria with blue and red flashing lights. The man wasn’t wearing a police uniform but carried a gun and told the motorist to “Slow it down for me, buddy,” the motorist said.

After becoming suspicious, the motorist drove away and then followed the Crown Victoria, recording video of the car with a cellphone and capturing the license plate number.

Police traced the license plate to the owner of the vehicle, who told police he had given the car to his father, Zimmerli.

When questioned by police, Zimmerli allegedly told police that he had encountered the motorist stopped on the road. But he denied that he had pretended to be a police officer or had a gun.

Zimmerli was released on a $2,500 bond under the conditions that he not possess a firearm or drive.

This story was originally published July 22, 2016 at 8:31 PM with the headline "Man is charged with impersonating police officer, showing gun while pulling over motorist."