Port Orange man charged with impersonating an officer after real deputy sees attempted traffic stop

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A Port Orange man was arrested Thursday, accused of falsely impersonating an officer after an off-duty Volusia County Sergeant saw him attempt a traffic stop.

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According to the sheriff’s office, the sergeant was driving on Nova Road in Port Orange Thursday morning when he saw a pickup truck with blue and red flashing lights and a Florida Sheriffs Association front license plate attempting to pull over another car.

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Because he wasn’t in a marked patrol vehicle, the sergeant simply took pictures of the truck and its license plate before alerting on-duty sheriff’s detectives.

Investigators identified the owner of the truck as 54-year-old Joseph Mercier.

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According to the sheriff’s office, detectives looked into Mercier’s background and determined he’d never been a certified law enforcement officer in Florida.

When confronted about the lights, Mercier told deputies he didn’t know why he put them on the truck and denied ever having tried to pull anyone over.

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Mercier was arrested Thursday on a warrant for false impersonation of a law enforcement officer, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving on a canceled, suspended, or revoked license.

He’s being held in the Volusia County Jail on a $21,000 bond.

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