Man charged with posing as officer after alleged attempt to stop unmarked MoCo police car

Detectives urge others who may have been pulled over by 42-year-old to come forward

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June 16, 2026 4:45 p.m.

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A man from California, Maryland, was arrested and charged with impersonating a police officer Monday after he attempted to pull over a Montgomery County police officer in an unmarked car in downtown Silver Spring, county police said Tuesday in a statement.  

Melvin Andrew Pinkney Jr., 42, is facing one count of impersonating an officer and is being held in the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit in Rockville, police said. According to online court records, he is being held without bond. Pinkney is represented by the Montgomery County Public Defender’s Office, which didn’t immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

Detectives believe others may have been approached by Pinkney while he allegedly was impersonating an officer and ask anyone who came into contact with him to call the department at 1-866-411-8477 or to visit crimesolversmcmd.org.  

According to police, a county police officer was driving an unmarked cruiser during “a proactive enforcement detail in downtown Silver Spring” at about 12:15 a.m. Monday when a Ford Taurus driven by Pinkney allegedly approached the rear of the cruiser. Pinkney then activated red and blue emergency lights and initiated a traffic stop, the statement said.  

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As Pinkney, who was allegedly wearing a holster, got out of his vehicle, the county officer “activated the cruiser’s emergency equipment” and Pinkney returned to his car, the statement said.  

Police said the officer then left his cruiser and spoke with Pinkney, who allegedly said he was working security at a nearby restaurant. Pinkney also said he was an active-duty deputy sheriff with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office and a retired police officer with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., according to the statement. 

Pinkney had a handgun and a valid concealed carry permit, but did not provide any law enforcement credentials, police said.  

An investigation found that Pinkney’s car was privately owned and not authorized as a law enforcement vehicle, meaning the use of red and blue emergency lights on his vehicle was illegal.  

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine