ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo.-
A suburban St. Louis police chief’s son was charged with impersonating an officer, more than a week after being arrested for sporting police clothes and pulling motorists over in his dad’s unmarked police car.
Ballwin Police Chief James Biederman’s son, Paul Biederman, 23, was charged Tuesday with a misdemeanor count of impersonating a police officer, avoiding a more serious charge of felony tampering because the city of Ballwin, which owns the police car, refused to press charges, said St. Charles Country Prosecutor Jack Banas.
If found guilty, Biederman could face up to a year in jail or up to a $1,000 fine.
Banas said his department was still reviewing the case against an 18-year-old who accompanied Biederman when they were pulling over cars.
Authorities said the two men were using the car’s siren and lights to pull over motorists and check their licenses on Oct. 1. They both wore cargo pants and shirts with police logos. The chief’s son even wore a gun belt with an air pistol that resembled a .40-caliber Glock, police said.
Their fun ended when they pulled over an off-duty St. Charles County sheriff’s detective, who didn’t believe their story that they were on special assignment with the Ballwin police department.
The two fled and were later arrested at Biederman’s home.
