BARTLESVILLE
A former reserve police officer has been charged with impersonation after an April incident in which a woman told authorities that a badge-flashing driver tried to pull over her car on U.S. 75.
Eric Dean Evans, 39, was released on his own recognizance this week after appearing in Washington County District Court.
Evans did not enter a plea to the misdemeanor charge, which alleges that he flashed a badge in an attempt to appear to be a law enforcement officer "when he had no authority."
The Bartlesville Police Department fired Evans from his reserve position immediately after investigating reports that he was making unauthorized traffic stops on U.S. 75. Evans had been a reserve officer since October 2007.
Reserve officers serve without pay and must complete 160 hours of training with the Council on Law Enforcement, Education and Training. Evans worked with the department's Patrol Division as a reserve cadet.
According to police, Evans was wearing civilian clothes and driving a private vehicle on April 1 when he allegedly flashed a police badge at a woman who was driving on U.S. 75 near Ramona.
Evans reportedly drove off when a male passenger who had been sleeping in her car sat up.
The driver had not pulled over because she was unsure whether the man was an actual law enforcement officer.
Instead, she called an Oklahoma Highway Patrol dispatcher.
Bartlesville police also received calls from other drivers who encountered similar situations. The investigation was turned over to the Highway Patrol, which has jurisdiction in the case.
Evans is due back in court May 18.
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