Motocross champ James 'Bubba' Stewart arrest details released
Motocross champ James 'Bubba' Stewart was arrested Monday on a charge of police impersonation.
Motocross superstar James "Bubba" Stewart Jr. could have been living out a fantasy of being a cop or simply running late for a flight Monday afternoon when he flashed red and blue lights at the truck in front of him on Interstate 4.
But that Chevy Silverado happened to be filled with legitimate off-duty officers.
The stunt earned Stewart — known to his fans as the "Tiger Woods of Motocross" — a trip to jail and a felony charge of impersonating a law-enforcement officer after he and his passenger were arrested at Orlando International Airport. Passenger Quinault Thames Jehrrod, 44, faces a charge of tampering with evidence.
Stewart didn't tell officers why he operated the flashing lights — which according to the arrest report he purchased at a flea market — but experts say the dangers of police impersonation are real and could be psychologically motivated.
"There are cop wannabes who either want to be a police officer and have been rejected by police or it's their way of [living] the fantasy of their life dream," said Tod Burke, a former Maryland police officer and professor of criminal justice at Radford University, Radford, Va.
Sometimes, the fake officers have more sinister motives, such as robberies, carjacking or even sexual assault or murder.
Luis Marcelo Munuzuri Harris of DeLand was arrested last year for impersonating an officer and raping a 28-year-old woman in Tampa. He pulled her over, handcuffed her, forced her to withdraw money from an ATM and then raped her in the backseat of his car. He was sentenced to life in prison last month, according to news reports.
Current data on the number of arrests was not available from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on Tuesday. But from 2004-09, an average of 36 arrests were made each year in Central Florida for impersonating a law-enforcement officer.
There is no evidence the 25-year-old Stewart or his passenger planned to commit any acts of violence Monday. But anytime someone impersonates an officer, experts say, the public is at risk.
"It's absolutely a safety issue," said FHP spokeswoman Sgt. Kim Montes. "The public needs to feel safe and that when someone is pulling them over, that it's actually a law-enforcement officer."
The distinction can be tricky, especially while driving at night. And it's easy to purchase police equipment, including badges, guns, emergency lights, sirens, old police vehicles and even uniforms.
Stewart's arrest is the latest in a rash of cases in Central Florida recently.
Glenn and Greg Hooper of Orange County were arrested last month after Glenn Hooper flashed his lights and activated a siren while behind a driver, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Both brothers owned police-style Ford Crown Victoria sedans outfitted with flashing grill lights, sirens and bullhorns.
And earlier this month, a 26-year-old Osceola County man was indicted on charges of impersonating a federal officer after he showed up at a Kissimmee apartment complex armed with a loaded handgun, handcuffs and "hit vest" — saying he was ready to arrest an attempted-murder suspect. Andrew Cliff Borrero is being held at the Osceola County Jail.
'This is not a cop'
A day after Stewart was arrested, new details emerged about the fake traffic stop — including a nearly 7-minute 911 call by an off-duty trooper.
An arrest report shows the motocross champ was driving a 2008 Toyota Tundra pickup eastbound on Interstate 4 near State Road 417 at 4:50 p.m. when he tried to stop another vehicle using red-and-blue police-type lights.
What Stewart likely didn't know was that the vehicle contained two off-duty highway patrol troopers and an off-duty Osceola County deputy, who suspected that the pickup was not an undercover police vehicle.
The black truck Stewart was driving — suped up with extra-large tires, black rims and tinted windows — hardly looked like something police would use for covert activity, Montes said.
Trooper Kevin O'Quinn slowed down when he saw the flashing lights and started to pull off onto the shoulder. Stewart followed him on to the shoulder briefly but pulled back out onto the roadway. As the truck drove past, Jehrrod rolled down his window halfway and yelled at them to slow down, Montes said.
O'Quinn showed his badge, identifying himself as a legitimate law officer.
Almost immediately, the flashing lights were turned off and Stewart sped off, the report shows. The officers quickly got in touch with dispatchers.
O'Quinn called 911 and calmly described the truck and the passengers that just moments before had tried to pull him over.
"I can guarantee you this is not a cop," Quinn told the dispatcher.
The off-duty officers tailed the truck to Orlando International Airport, where an Orange County deputy and an Orlando police officer conducted a felony stop. Officers found the flashing lights inside Jehrrod's luggage.
Both men were cooperative during the arrest, according to the report. Stewart admitted he operated the flashing lights and Jehrrod told officers he hid them in his bag, the affidavit states.
Monday was the first time either man had been arrested in the state, according to records from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Jehrrod lists his occupation as "personal assistant," but it's unclear whether he works for Stewart.
bprieto@tribune.com or 407-420-5620.
But that Chevy Silverado happened to be filled with legitimate off-duty officers.
The stunt earned Stewart — known to his fans as the "Tiger Woods of Motocross" — a trip to jail and a felony charge of impersonating a law-enforcement officer after he and his passenger were arrested at Orlando International Airport. Passenger Quinault Thames Jehrrod, 44, faces a charge of tampering with evidence.
Stewart didn't tell officers why he operated the flashing lights — which according to the arrest report he purchased at a flea market — but experts say the dangers of police impersonation are real and could be psychologically motivated.
"There are cop wannabes who either want to be a police officer and have been rejected by police or it's their way of [living] the fantasy of their life dream," said Tod Burke, a former Maryland police officer and professor of criminal justice at Radford University, Radford, Va.
Sometimes, the fake officers have more sinister motives, such as robberies, carjacking or even sexual assault or murder.
Luis Marcelo Munuzuri Harris of DeLand was arrested last year for impersonating an officer and raping a 28-year-old woman in Tampa. He pulled her over, handcuffed her, forced her to withdraw money from an ATM and then raped her in the backseat of his car. He was sentenced to life in prison last month, according to news reports.
Current data on the number of arrests was not available from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement on Tuesday. But from 2004-09, an average of 36 arrests were made each year in Central Florida for impersonating a law-enforcement officer.
There is no evidence the 25-year-old Stewart or his passenger planned to commit any acts of violence Monday. But anytime someone impersonates an officer, experts say, the public is at risk.
"It's absolutely a safety issue," said FHP spokeswoman Sgt. Kim Montes. "The public needs to feel safe and that when someone is pulling them over, that it's actually a law-enforcement officer."
The distinction can be tricky, especially while driving at night. And it's easy to purchase police equipment, including badges, guns, emergency lights, sirens, old police vehicles and even uniforms.
Stewart's arrest is the latest in a rash of cases in Central Florida recently.
Glenn and Greg Hooper of Orange County were arrested last month after Glenn Hooper flashed his lights and activated a siren while behind a driver, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office. Both brothers owned police-style Ford Crown Victoria sedans outfitted with flashing grill lights, sirens and bullhorns.
And earlier this month, a 26-year-old Osceola County man was indicted on charges of impersonating a federal officer after he showed up at a Kissimmee apartment complex armed with a loaded handgun, handcuffs and "hit vest" — saying he was ready to arrest an attempted-murder suspect. Andrew Cliff Borrero is being held at the Osceola County Jail.
'This is not a cop'
A day after Stewart was arrested, new details emerged about the fake traffic stop — including a nearly 7-minute 911 call by an off-duty trooper.
An arrest report shows the motocross champ was driving a 2008 Toyota Tundra pickup eastbound on Interstate 4 near State Road 417 at 4:50 p.m. when he tried to stop another vehicle using red-and-blue police-type lights.
What Stewart likely didn't know was that the vehicle contained two off-duty highway patrol troopers and an off-duty Osceola County deputy, who suspected that the pickup was not an undercover police vehicle.
The black truck Stewart was driving — suped up with extra-large tires, black rims and tinted windows — hardly looked like something police would use for covert activity, Montes said.
Trooper Kevin O'Quinn slowed down when he saw the flashing lights and started to pull off onto the shoulder. Stewart followed him on to the shoulder briefly but pulled back out onto the roadway. As the truck drove past, Jehrrod rolled down his window halfway and yelled at them to slow down, Montes said.
O'Quinn showed his badge, identifying himself as a legitimate law officer.
Almost immediately, the flashing lights were turned off and Stewart sped off, the report shows. The officers quickly got in touch with dispatchers.
O'Quinn called 911 and calmly described the truck and the passengers that just moments before had tried to pull him over.
"I can guarantee you this is not a cop," Quinn told the dispatcher.
The off-duty officers tailed the truck to Orlando International Airport, where an Orange County deputy and an Orlando police officer conducted a felony stop. Officers found the flashing lights inside Jehrrod's luggage.
Both men were cooperative during the arrest, according to the report. Stewart admitted he operated the flashing lights and Jehrrod told officers he hid them in his bag, the affidavit states.
Monday was the first time either man had been arrested in the state, according to records from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Jehrrod lists his occupation as "personal assistant," but it's unclear whether he works for Stewart.
bprieto@tribune.com or 407-420-5620.
Copyright © 2011, Orlando Sentinel
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