SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – A Shreveport man has been arrested, accused of showing up at a Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office substation pretending to be a fire investigator and deputies say he had a trunk filled with several items, including fake SFD apparel and two stolen radios.
According to CPSO, 51-year-old Dexter Dale Sims is charged with impersonation and illegal possession of stolen things. Sims also had an outstanding warrant for writing bad checks.
Deputies say Sims showed up at one of their substations Thursday morning where members of the Shreveport Fire Department’s Special Response Team were preparing for a morning operation. He approached deputies in the parking lot and asked if he could accompany them.
Sims was wearing an SFD jacket with the department’s patch and the words “Fire Engineer” embroidered on the chest area. He was also wearing an SFD cap, khaki pants, and a holstered pellet gun resembling a semi-automatic pistol.
CPSO says a medic on the SRT did not recognize Sims, causing detectives to detain him while they looked further into his credentials. It was determined that Sims was not a city fire employee, and he was arrested.
Sims was driving a 2009 silver GMC Acadia, and deputies say they found numerous pieces of apparel inside of his trunk with SFD patches attached to them.
CPSO recovered also recovered badges, a bullet-resistant vest, ammunition clips, handcuffs, a replica automatic rifle, and two hand-held radios. The radios were identified as property belonging to the Bossier City Fire Department.
The investigation into Sims and the items recovered is still ongoing.