Albuquerque, NM – 17 November 2017 – Officers said a man tried to pull over another driver with his police lights. However, he’s not a cop.
Last month, an officer in an unmarked unit spotted a tow truck near I-25 and San Antonio “with red and blue flashing overhead lights.” According to the criminal complaint, the driver of the tow-truck was 33-year-old Gilbert Chavez.
The officer said Chavez “appeared to be in pursuit” of a silver sedan. He stated the two vehicles blew through a few red lights.
The officer, in an unmarked unit, followed both vehicles from a distance, but eventually lost sight of the sedan.
Officers finally caught up with Chavez on San Francisco Road. According to the complaint, Chavez took it upon himself to pull over and get out of the truck.
Lapel video shows Chavez refusing to follow the officer’s commands to keep his hands out of his pockets and in the air.
Officers finally got Chavez in cuffs, but discovered he wasn’t alone. He claimed the woman on the passenger side of the truck was his wife.
He also claimed to be a repo-man on the clock.
“I’m not trying to do nothing. I’m working, God,” he said.
Chavez continued to tell officers that “he was attempting to get information (from the sedan) which he believed to be in default. He said that’s when the driver of the sedan backed into his tow-truck.
He said he followed the driver because he didn’t want to get in trouble for the damage on the truck.
Albuquerque police didn’t find any damage to the front of the tow-truck. However, officers did find a “small glass pipe” they say Chavez tossed when they were asking him to keep his hands out of his pocket.
KRQE News 13 was unable to verify if Chavez is really a repo man and the company he works for.
Chavez was charged with impersonating a police officer and reckless driving. He ended up taking a plea and was convicted of a lesser charge of disorderly conduct.
Source: KRQE News 13
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