Man accused of impersonating officer

HAMPTON, Va. (WAVY) - For the second time in less than five years, a Newport News man has been accused of impersonating a police officer.

Hampton police arrested Dietrich Jackson after they say he was involved in a gunfight on Interstate 64, then, while impersonating an officer offered to give a woman a ride home.

According to police, the incident happened on March 1. Police say after the shooting ended, Jackson apparently turned on a set of blue lights installed on his car then pulled over a car. Police say two men in the car ran but a woman remained. investigators say Jackson told her he was a police officer.

Jackson was also arrested following a similar incident in April 2007. Hampton Police told WAVY.com, Jackson and two other men were arrested for unlawfully posing as security officers at Grille 64, formerly known as Crabbers. Each were charged with unlawful possession of a weapon.

The Department of Criminal Justice requires any person working in the capacity of an armed security officer to register and complete the required training (Virginia Code 9.1-147) .

Impersonating a police officer in Virginia is a Class I misdemeanor. If convicted, Jackson faces up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.

Jackson faces a long list of charges, including: abduction, impersonating a police officer, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, wearing body armor while committing a crime and shooting into an occupied vehicle.

Jackson is being held in Hampton City Jail without bond.