Impersonating law-enforcement officer; penalty (§ 18.2-174)—Virginia Decoded

Impersonating law-enforcement officer; penalty

Any person who falsely assumes or exercises the functions, powers, duties, and privileges incident to the office of sheriff, police officer, marshal, or other peace officer, or any local, city, county, state, or federal law-enforcement officer, or who falsely assumes or pretends to be any such officer, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. A second or subsequent offense is punishable as a Class 6 felony.

History

Code 1950, § 18.1-311; 1960, c. 358; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 2013, cc. 410, 431, 638.

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Court Decisions

English v. Com. (COA, 06/22/04)
. . . law enforcement officer, in violation of Code § 18.2-174, Robert Keith English contends the . . .

United States v. Douglas Chappell (Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 08/14/12)
. . . because . . .

Merchant v. Fairfax County, Va. (District Court, E.D. Virginia, 04/11/11)
. . . impersonating a police officer in violation of Va.Code § 18.2-174. When these state charges were . . .

Merchant v. Bauer (Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 04/26/12)
. . . officer, in violation of Virginia Code Section § 18.2-174. That statute provides that . . .

Court opinions are provided by CourtListener, which is developed by the Free Law Project.

Amendment Attempts

HB1802: Law-enforcement officer; increases penalty for impersonating. (failed)

HB495: Police officer, impersonating; punishment of offense. (failed)

HB1358: Law-enforcement officer; impersonating local, etc., law-enforcement officer is Class 1 misdemeanor. (passed)

HB1634: Law-enforcement officer; impersonating an officer while committing certain acts. (failed)

HB1955: Impersonating a law-enforcement officer or other public safety personnel; impersonating, penalty. (passed)

SB1128: Law-enforcement officer; impersonating local, etc., law-enforcement officer is Class 1 misdemeanor. (passed)