Dumb Crook News from Tampa

Tampa man picks wrong car for joke traffic stop

The Associated Press

Marvin Williams thought it would be funny to put a blue-and-red flashing light on the dashboard of his friend's car and pretend to pull over another motorist, police said.

But the joke backfired Sunday night when Williams picked a car with two undercover Tampa cops inside.

It didn't help much when he laughed about it as he drove by. Then, when police followed him, the 22-year-old Williams ran from the vehicle, officials say.

He left behind two female friends who were riding with him, and 7 grams of cocaine on the center console, police said. The officers caught up, caught him and found the drugs.

Williams was charged with cocaine possession, impersonating a law enforcement officer and resisting arrest. Officers also arrested a woman riding in the front seat and charged her with cocaine possession.

Williams posted $4,500 bail Monday night and was released. A working phone number could not be located for him Tuesday, and it wasn't known if he had an attorney.

Police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said Williams joked with his passengers about pulling someone over in the moments before pulling behind Officers Sean Kruger and Jason Degagne shortly before midnight.

"The joke was on him," McElroy said. "His victims turned out to be police officers who escorted him to jail - with a real blue light."