(Norcross, Georgia) Gwinnett County Police have arrested 74yo Bruce Christie for impersonating a police officer. On June 13, 2016, police were contacted by an employee from Dynasty Jewelry & Loan in Norcross. According to the employee, Christie presented police identification at the pawn shop that identified him as a Cottonwood Police Department officer from Alabama. The employee thought that this was suspicious as police do not display their official credentials to complete a pawn transaction. As a result, the employee was even more suspicious about the validity of those credentials.

On June 14, 2016, around 10 am, a supervisor assigned to the West Precinct went to the pawn shop to gather additional information about the potential impersonator. While speaking to the employees, Christie walked into the store. Christie attempted to pawn a shotgun. He never acknowledged the presence of the uniformed Gwinnett police officer. The officer noted that the behavior was odd but not illegal. This prompted him to investigate the matter further by stepping outside and contacting the Cottonwood Police Department in Alabama to verify Christie’s status as an officer. The Gwinnett officer spoke to the chief of police for the department and learned that Christie was not an employee of the agency. During the conversation, Christie walked outside, got into his car and drove out of the parking lot. The officer followed him onto the roadway.

Before the officer could initiate a traffic stop, Christie stopped his vehicle in the roadway. At that point, the officer activated his emergency equipment and initiated a traffic stop. The officer walked up to the vehicle and introduced himself. Christie replied, “Hello I’m Captain Christie.” When the officer asked him if he was a current police officer, Christie replied, “Yes.” The officer then asked to see his official police credentials. Christie displayed an ID card and badge from Cottonwood Police Department in Alabama. The officer informed Christie that he had spoken to the chief of police from Cottonwood and knew that he was not an employee. He was then placed under arrest and transported to the Gwinnett County Detention Center where he remains.

Impersonating a police officer is a serious felony in the state of Georgia and we take these types of cases very seriously. Citizens can rest assured that if anyone falsely represents them self as a police officer in Gwinnett County they will go to jail.