Assault and battery charges were dropped against a Winter Park developer after police thought he hit a law enforcement officer escorting a funeral procession.
Now, those charges have been dropped and the man directing traffic has been arrested, who was allegedly impersonating an officer at the time.
Read: Man pretending to be Florida police officer found passed out behind wheel of vehicle
In July 2017, Jerome Henin said he was driving along Orlando Avenue in Winter Park when he saw a funeral procession, and changed lanes. Someone who he assumed was an officer, later identified as Dylan Vogt, told him to stop and that he was “committing assault.”
He then realized that the man may have not been a real officer. Henin said he panicked and sped away. Vogt then called Winter Park police and said Henin hit him. Henin was arrested shortly after on suspicion of aggravated assault and battery.
For months, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office has been investigating Metro State, Vogt and owner Jeremy Dewitte for similar incidents during funeral escorts.
Charges have been dropped against Henin. Now, a year and a half later, Vogt has been arrested for impersonating a police officer that day.
According to investigators, Vogt was acting outside the scope of the funeral procession and Henin was required by law to stop. However, it seems the arresting officer didn’t know that.
According to Vogt’s arrest affidavit, the investigator wrote that the Winter Park officer and “his agency failed to investigate the legitimacy of the company Metro State and said he and his fellow employees thought that Metro State was law enforcement, because of their uniforms and decals.”
Vogt is suing Henin, and Henin is countersuing Vogt and the funeral home that hired Metro State. Henin and his attorney declined to comment. Vogt did not return Channel 9′s request for comment.
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