Man Who Isn’t an Officer Charged With Initiating a Pursuit

Authorities say a man pretending to be a police officer chased another driver through St. Louis until the fleeing motorist crashed into several other cars.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that 27-year-old Anthony Townsend, of St. Louis, was charged Wednesday with a misdemeanor count of false impersonation of a law enforcement officer.

Charging documents say the pursuit started on Feb. 27 when Townsend flipped on emergency lights in his personal car and began chasing another car. It's unclear why.
Drivers were forced to pull over to get out of the way, and multiple vehicles were hit.
Court documents say Townsend has posted $1,000 bail.

No attorney is listed for him in online court records, and he didn't immediately return a phone message.