The Newnan Police Department arrested a man on December 6 for impersonating an undercover police officer and other charges.
According to a police report, the suspect, Jose Rodriguez had entered a store in the 1200 block of Bullsboro Drive and stole some items. When he was confronted by an employee, he said he was an undercover "drug task force agent." Another worker asked to see his badge.
Rodriguez claimed undercover agents do not carry identification, but instead, showed him a gun that he had holstered on him before leaving.
When viewing video surveillance footage from the store, a Newnan officer recognized Rodriguez from another call earlier that day. The officer said he had been advised a subject matching Rodriguez's description was armed and dangerous an had escaped custody in Troup County a few days earlier.
The report said officers received another call from the Quality Inn on Lakeside Way a short time later advising that a man matching Rodriguez's description was there claiming to be an undercover officer needing a room. When officers arrived, they observed a man matching the same description, with a camouflage backpack walking away.
As the officers got out of their car, the man tossed what officers said appeared to be a gun into the bushes.
Officers subdued the man, who refused to identify himself. They took him back to the hotel and spoke to the clerk, who identified him as the man who had asked for a room, claiming to be an undercover officer. When she had asked for ID and payment, he had lifted his jacket, displaying a handgun jammed into his waistband.
As they searched the suspect's wallet, officers discovered identification and credit cards belonging to several other individuals. He was taken Newnan Piedmont Hospital for evaluation prior to being taken to the Newnan Police Department for booking, since he claimed to have ingested a quantity of cocaine.
According to the police report, Rodriguez has been charged with one count of theft by shoplifting, one count of impersonating an officer and one count of obstruction of officers.
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