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Written by: E. George
Published December 23, 2024 @ 12:50 PM ET
COBB COUNTY, Ga. – Authorities arrested a 63-year-old Acworth man and charged him with impersonating a police officer after they found him directing traffic for a funeral procession on South Main Street in a retired police vehicle with flashing red lights on October 22, 2024. They explained that he donned handcuffs, a shirt with an insignia resembling a badge, and a Byrna non-lethal self-defense gun on his hip holster.
Acworth Police Officer Eric Mistretta stated, “He was dressed similar to what an officer would wear.” Regarding the suspect’s 2019 Ford Explorer, Mistretta said, “It appears to be similar to a police car, the lights, even the type of markings on it specialized unit for a K-9.”
In addition to impersonating a law enforcement officer, Daniel William Harr faces a charge of driving with emergency lights. Officers transported Harr to the Cobb County Adult Detention Center on October 29, 2024, where he was later released on a bond amount of $5,000.
Harr’s attorney, David West, denied the accusations that his client impersonated an officer and said he was directing traffic for a funeral, as he had done for years for his funeral escort business.
He stated, “To make it as safe as possible, the easiest thing for him to do was to use a vehicle with lights and to dress in a manner that was more likely to cause people to be aware of him and respect what he was trying to do.”
West added, “He never stopped a car. He never told someone he was police. Impersonating a police officer means he was holding himself out to be a police officer, which he categorically was not.”
Reports indicated that Harr closed his business after the incident.
This case is currently pending in court.