A man was arrested near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after falsely claiming to be an IMPD officer while walking his dog the day before the Indianapolis 500.
On May 24, 2024, around 8:12 p.m., Detective Adam Bandy of the Speedway Police was alerted to the impersonation in the 4700 block of West 16th Street. Officer Gannon Wood, on duty with the Pike Township Constable, reported that the man approached him with a large Malinois—a breed commonly used by police—and claimed to be an IMPD downtown district officer.
According to court documents, the man bragged about recent drug arrests made with the help of his dog and wore a black duty belt equipped with handcuffs and what appeared to be a firearm. When Detective Bandy arrived in full uniform, he asked the man to secure the dog before reading him his Miranda rights. Initially, the man denied the earlier interaction, but after Officer Wood presented his badge, the man admitted to falsely claiming to be a police officer, saying he was going through a difficult time.
Further investigation revealed that the firearm on his belt was actually a replica Glock BB gun with an orange tip and a modification mimicking an automatic switch.
The man was arrested and charged with impersonating a public servant. Indianapolis Animal Care and Control took custody of the Malinois.
