Driver claimed to be cop during traffic stop in Elmont, police say

A traffic stop for an incorrectly displayed out-of-state registration sticker led to the arrest Friday afternoon of a Queens man who pretended he was an NYPD housing officer, Nassau police said.

Dion Barnes, 33, turned out to be a security guard instead, and was arrested "without incident," police said. Two knives, a retractable baton and "a ballistic vest with a police patch on the back" were recovered, police said.

Barnes was driving a 2006 Audi east on Hempstead Turnpike near Franklin Street in Elmont when officers noticed that a temporary Texas dealer registration was not properly displayed, police said.

Officers stopped him around 4:55 p.m., according to police. He was charged with criminal impersonation of a police officer, criminal possession of a forged instrument, criminal possession of a weapon and forgery of a vehicle identification number.

Barnes was arraigned Saturday in Nassau First District Court in Hempstead and released on his own recognizance, according to online court records. No attorney information was immediately available and his next court appearance is set for July 6.

Update: In October 2021, the Nassau District Court dismissed Barnes’ criminal charges after an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal, court records show.