"Teen Cop" Arrested on Adult Gun Charge

By Chuck Sudo in News on May 23, 2011 1:00PM

The teen who made national headlines and a major public relations headache for the Police Department in 2009 for impersonating a police officer has been charged as an adult with felony aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. 17-year-old Vincent Richardson allegedly admitted to police that he was in possession of a semi-automatic weapon when they found a loaded magazine clip on him during a May 10 pat down.

Richardson's impersonation of a police officer, including signing out a squad car, led to disciplinary action within the department. Richardson pleaded guilty to impersonating a police officer, but didn't stay out of trouble. He later dressed as a businessman, walked into a car dealership and stole a Lexus. Juvenile Court Judge Andrew Berman sentenced Richardson to three years probation, a month of home confinement and ordered to undergo therapy in that incident. He violated the terms of his home confinement and lied to Berman about it.

Last March, Richardson was sentenced to juvenile prison for assaulting his mother and stealing his uncle's car. Berman said last year that the kid had been given multiple chances. That still doesn't make Richardson's story any less sad. We wonder if he's another case of a good kid who fell through the cracks or a genuine bad apple.