When you see a motorcycle with flashing lights and a person directing traffic, it’s probably safe to assume it’s just a police officer doing their job.
Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case in Florida as the person in question is 39-year-old Jeremy Dewitte who is a police impersonator, felon and sex offender. That’s a terrifying combination and it’s even more shocking considering Dewitte has a lengthy criminal record that goes back more than two decades.
There’s a lot to unpack here, but WFTV says Dewitte was arrested multiple times last year for impersonating a police officer. In one of the cases, he was caught wearing a “shirt with a police badge, a bullet-restraint vest and a helmet with a police-like badge.” If that wasn’t enough, Dewitte was also wearing a police-like belt loaded with pepper spray, a baton, handcuffs, a radio and a BB gun that looked like a real pistol.
Dewitte runs a company called Metro State Vehicle Protection Services which bills itself as “central Florida’s premier protection” service on their website. The company says they specialize in funeral, airport and VIP motorcade escorts. They also claim their “motor unit officers are trained and certified by state and local law enforcement motorcycle instructors.”
Their website notes they have a fleet of motorcycles and Ford Crown Victorias, and “all vehicles are equipped with state-of-the-art communications and police style LED lighting and siren packages.” That appears to be part of the problem as the company’s vehicles look so police-like, they can be mistaken for the real thing.
Getting back to Dewitte’s arrest, he was charged with impersonating a police officer during a funeral procession. Ironically, his own helmet cam was full of damning evidence.
Warning: Video contains NSFW language
The Real World Police YouTube channel has been keeping tabs on Dewitte and they posted the video following his arrest. As you can see in the clip, the motorcycle rider stops and directs traffic, speeds multiple times and crosses into lanes for oncoming traffic. If that wasn’t enough, they pass vehicles on a single lane road, weave between traffic and harasses countless other drivers.
Other drivers are clearly confused by what’s going on as some stop in traffic, while others pull off to the side of the road. At the 6:45 minute mark, Dewitte can be seen pointing and yelling at the driver of a blue Hyundai to get over. Later, he can be seen telling another driver to “get the f*uck over.”
At the 8:10 mark, Dewitte threatens the driver of a blue Nissan and is told “stop pretending you’re a police officer.” This leads to an argument where Dewitte tells the person to call 911 and then brags he has it all on video. That’s ironic considering the video is now coming back to haunt him.
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WFTV talked to Dewitte and he had plenty of excuses. He said the former sheriff approved of their police-like getup and only asked they not wear blue. The sheriff’s office disputes that and said Dewitte has been informed on “multiple occasions that they weren’t authorized to stop traffic, harass drivers or dress like law enforcement officers.”
Dewitte also claimed police have been harassing him, and his company, since 2014. He went to say that he isn’t directing traffic and is “never saying” turn here or pull over.
The video shows otherwise. Of course, Dewitte has an excuse for that as well as he told WKRG the camera contains videos of multiple employees, not just him.
This is far from Dewitte’s first run-in with police and he was reportedly arrested in 1998 for impersonating an officer to steal about $15 in gas. Since then, he’s racked up multiple counts of impersonating an officer as well as a sex offense for “lewd acts with a minor under the age of 15.”
The Florida Department of Corrections shows Dewitte has spent plenty of time behind bars as he was incarcerated in 2001 for impersonating a law enforcement officer. He also was also jailed between 2005-2006 and 2009-2011.
