A 52-year-old man is suspected of impersonating an officer of the Polícia de Segurança Pública (PSP), committing crimes against public authority.
During a vehicle inspection on Saturday, authorities discovered several pieces of equipment resembling those used by the PSP: blue light platforms and rearview mirror cameras, which are found in unmarked police vehicles for monitoring the speed of other cars.
The driver was detained under suspicion and taken to the police station at Ponte 25 de Abril. There, authorities noted his attire: a blue polo shirt, black vest with insignias and the Portuguese flag embroidered on it, dark pants, and black boots with a military pattern.
The suspect was also in possession of a walkie-talkie, identification similar to that used by police officers, and a gray metallic badge with the National Coat of Arms.
Further searches of the suspect’s vehicle revealed a light indicator (restricted to police vehicles or those used in emergency services), a radio communication device with a built-in microphone and earpiece in the car’s dashboard, external sound transmission equipment, a tactical case with an iron bar, signaling cones, and various patches labeled “Inspection.”
In the engine compartment, “an audible emergency signaling and presence alert device” was also found, referring to the siren typically used by police vehicles, as noted by the PSP in a statement.
When questioned by the police, the suspect never explained why he possessed all these devices. The vehicle and listed instruments were confiscated.
The suspect has been formally charged and is subject to identity and residence terms.
