HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A Maryland man was taken into custody Friday for impersonating a Pittsburgh police officer.
According to information from Pennsylvania State Police, a woman in Hempfield Township contacted troopers when a man showed up at her home and insisted she let him inside.
Court documents state that when she told the man she was on the phone with police, he claimed to be a Pittsburgh officer named John Laney and continued to ask her to open the door.
When troopers got on scene they determined the man, identified as Thomas Rooney, 25, of Maryland, was not an actual officer.
Per the court documents, Rooney told troopers that he, and four other people he was with, are from out of town and looking for work. He reportedly wanted to see if anyone in the area wanted gravel for their driveway.
Rooney was charged with impersonating a public servant and simple assault. He was taken to the Westmoreland County Prison and denied bail due to being deemed a flight risk.
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