Oct. 13--A Barling police sergeant on Wednesday arrested a Jenny Lind volunteer firefighter who is accused of impersonating a police officer.
Sgt. Darrel Minor said he received complaints of a man at Springhill Park in Barling who was identifying himself as a Barling police officer. Minor then went to the park, where he spoke with Shawn Cossey, 33, of Jenny Lind before both went to department for an interview, Minor said.
"Once I spoke with (Cossey) down at the office, he admitted that on four different occasions he identified himself as a police officer," Minor said. "On one occasion in particular, he actually used his fabricated law enforcement capacity to extort money from a gentleman that owed him money."
Minor said Cossey was attempting to get $40 that the man owed him, but he only recovered $20.
Minor said Cossey used his fire department shield as a police badge "to further verify or allow people to think he was a police officer," and he also carried handcuffs with keys.
"He had all of the law equipment that would lead someone to believe he's possibly a police officer," Minor said. "I also interviewed his girlfriend who also thought he was a police officer. She even stated with all of the equipment she had noticed in the camper that he more than likely was a police officer."
Minor said Cossey has a concealed carry license, but there is no evidence he pointed the firearm at anyone while impersonating an officer.
Cossey was arrested on suspicion of first-degree criminal impersonation, a class D felony, Minor said. Cossey was transported to the Sebastian County Adult Detention Center, where he was later released on $10,000 bond, according to a Sebastian County jailer.
Copyright 2011 - Times Record, Fort Smith, Ark.
