Teen Cop Impersonator Arrested For Alleged Car Theft

By Marcus Gilmer in News on May 4, 2009 10:25PM

Well, crap. Remember the teen who made headlines and caused headaches for impersonating a Chicago Police officer a few months back? At the time, it seemed almost funny (if a little scary) and we were intrigued by a kid who, as relatives attested, just really wanted to be a police officer. Right on this very website, I said:

But what about the kid? We may be going down the wrong trail, but something about this kid really intrigues us. In a time when it's commonplace for kids in urban environments to portray police as the villain, this kid obviously wants more than anything to be a police officer. When was the last time you heard a story like that? It in no way excuses the teen from his actions, but the underlying story here is the chance to save another kid from slipping through the cracks.

Well, now I'm eating crow: the Sun-Times is reporting the 14-year-old was arrested on Friday night for allegedly stealing a car. A Chicago Police officer pulled the teen over which somehow led to the teen crashing the car and then fleeing on foot, only to be caught by the officer with some assistance from another cop. Charges are pending, according to the S-T report. Still, I reiterate the hope there's still keeping this kid, and the tens of thousands like him across the city, from slipping through the cracks.