Iowa man arrested for impersonating firefighter

Richard Dean Stinson, 27, was charged with three counts of impersonating an officer and one count of unauthorized use of emergency lights

January 05, 2017 09:51 AM

By Grayson Schmidt
Ames Tribune

AMES, Iowa — A Nevada man was arrested Tuesday after police say he impersonated a firefighter on multiple occasions in November and December.

Richard Dean Stinson, 27, was charged with three counts of impersonating an officer, and one count of unauthorized use of emergency lights.

According to Ames Police Cmdr. Geoff Huff, the first incident occurred Nov. 28, when Stinson was pulled over by an officer for having a suspended license. During the traffic stop, Huff said Stinson began asking the officer questions about flashing blue lights on his car, and claimed that he was a volunteer firefighter with both the Clear Lake and “Soldier Creek, Neb.” Fire Departments.

Huff said this immediately raised concerns with the officer, who followed up on the information Stinson provided.

The Clear Lake Fire Department reportedly had no record of Stinson, and Huff said the Soldier Creek Fire Department did not exist.

In addition, Huff said police also checked with the Fire Service Training Bureau in Ames, which also had no record of Stinson.

On Dec. 13, Huff said police called Stinson into the station to question him about blue lights. Stinson reportedly came in with an application for Iowa blue light certificate signed by himself, claiming that he owned a private fire suppression business, which police found later to be false.

According to Huff, blue lights are allowed on a private vehicle if the fire chief of the department has given permission. While the lights are not technically illegal to have on a vehicle, Huff said that it is illegal to use them without permission from a fire chief.

Then on Dec. 16, Huff said Stinson stopped at a traffic accident at the intersection of Duff Avenue and Airport Road with his flashing blue lights, and reportedly told one driver he was an Ames firefighter and the other driver said he was an Ames EMT.

Stinson was then arrested on warrants by the Nevada Police Department, and as of Wednesday afternoon was being held at Story County Jail on $7,125 bond.