AZ man convicted of pulling over off-duty officer

[March 17, 2010]  PHOENIX (AP) -- An Arizona man accused admonishing motorists of traffic laws while posing as a police officer apparently picked the wrong driver to pull over.

A Maricopa County jury on Tuesday found 62-year-old David Word guilty of impersonating a lawman for pulling over an off-duty police officer. Sentencing is set for May 5.

Avondale police officer Matt Lydic says he was on his way to work in his personal vehicle last May when Word pulled him over while driving a black Ford Crown Victoria equipped with lights and a siren. Lydic says Word told him to slow down, then drove away.

The officer noticed police-style equipment in the car and copied down the license plate, which came back registered to Word. Police arrested Word at his home in Surprise.

Word was acquitted of pulling over a state liquor board member for driving in an interstate carpool lane.

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Information from: The Arizona Republic, http://www.azcentral.com/

[Associated Press]

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