Accused impersonator identified as actual law enforcement officer

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. - FOX 5 News has learned the man Cherokee County deputies thought was pretending to be a police officer is, in fact, a law enforcement officer. 

Tuesday morning, Good Day Atlanta’s Kaitlyn Pratt was reporting live from the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office as a man pulled up in a silver Chevrolet Equinox and showed her his badge.

The man had been accused of impersonating a police officer after a motorist recorded video of him during a traffic stop and told authorities he felt concerned over an “irregular contact.”

The motorist was pulled over while driving north on Ball Ground Road near Hightower Road in Cherokee County Monday afternoon. The driver became suspicious because the officer never identified himself or what agency he represented. The driver told investigators the man who pulled him over was also wearing a gold badge instead of a sheriff's star and had what appeared to be a firearm on his right hip. 

The driver told the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office the man who pulled him over quickly left when he began recording him on his phone and asked him if he was on duty or if he could provide some documentation.

As a result, Cherokee County deputies issued a warning and released images of the man, stating he was possibly pretending to be a law enforcement officer.

"We have positively identified him as a certified law enforcement officer in an off-duty capacity at the time of this incident," the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office said. "He was wearing his agency issued badge but did not have on any other identifying credentials or documentation. We have notified his immediate supervisor as well as his department." 

Authorities have not yet revealed the officer's identity or what agency for which he works.