PC Sheriff’s Office arrest Man for posing as Law Enforcement Officer

The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man late Sunday afternoon for impersonating a law enforcement officer. A deputy on routine patrol observed a suspicious vehicle attempting to stop a motorcycle by use of a flashing blue light on Pendleton Street near Pickens City Hall. The deputy observed the vehicle, which was a gray Chevrolet Malibu to have a North Carolina license tag and as the deputy drove towards the suspicious vehicle it sped off leaving the motorcycle on the side of the road. The vehicle turned onto a side street and was stopped by the deputy in order to investigate further. The vehicle was not a law enforcement vehicle and after confirming that he was not a law enforcement officer, 21-year-old Mark Michael Church Landmeier was placed under arrest. Blue lights, a siren, a public address system, and a CB radio were found to be hard wired into the vehicle and subsequently collected as evidence. A Ruger .22 caliber pistol along with a gold colored badge with the words “Police Officer” in large font and the word “Explorer” in smaller print were also found in the vehicle. Landmeier was booked into the Pickens County Detention Center for impersonating a law enforcement officer and unlawful carrying of a pistol. The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone that may have had a previous encounter with someone operating an unmarked, gray Chevrolet Malibu as a law enforcement vehicle to call the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office at 864-898-5500.