Impersonating a firefighter online, a new case for police

[sparrow803]

Written by John Wilmer, Multimedia Journalist - bio | email

WATERLOO (KWWL) - A Dysart man has been arrested for claiming to be a Waterloo paramedic on the social media website Facebook.

Waterloo police arrested 20 year old Austin Reding after he posted on the radio station, KCRR's Facebook page that he rescued a man who jumped into the Cedar River after a police chase Wednesday.

On Wednesday evening Reding got on Facebook and made some impressive claims.

"Yeh, but hell I get paid for it plus I like to save people lives," said Reding.

People were impressed with the comments.

"I agree Austin. I'm glad there are people like you that work for emergency and safety," one person said.

Reding went on to post several more statements and answer questions.

"Actually I was just getting the cot and medical bags out when they pulled him out," said Reding.

But some people questioned Reding's claims.

"Been working for WFR for 22 years and never worked with ya Austin! Seems kinda sick to me to claim what ya ain't. What you did is illegal and you can get jail time for it," said one person who posted a comment.

Police were eventually called to investigate and it was discovered Reding wasn't who he said he was.

"We went down to his house in Dysart and interviewed him and he admitted to making the posts and realizing... We were able to verify that he was not a Waterloo fire fighter," said Captain Tim Pillack of the Waterloo Police Department.

Finding someone who posing as a public official on the web is something new for Waterloo police.

"This is the first one I'm aware of here in Waterloo. It was something new for us to look into and we consulted with the county attorney and we wanted to make sure something like this doesn't happen again," said Pillack.

In Waterloo, police officers, fire fighters, and paramedics are allowed to have a Facebook page. Director of Safety Services Dan Trelka even has one but they have been warned about what they can and can not put on their Facebook pages for legal reasons.

"We don't wan them to get into trouble by posting things they shouldn't and so we routinely have to remind them that there are rules and they do a good job of abiding by them," said Pillack.

Reding was being held in the Black Hawk County Jail, but he was recently released on $1,000 bond.





My 2 cents - I guess if I was going to do something this stupid I would at least claim to have been one of the cops in the chase - LOL

[Joeyd6]

I doubt this case is going anywhere fast....usually you have to infringe on somebody else's rights or receive a benefit your self of some kind or have the potential to place others in harm to be arrested for impersonating. While stupid and selffish......I reserve the rest of my comments until I hear the actual charge and read it.

[retdetsgt]

I doubt this case is going anywhere fast....usually you have to infringe on somebody else's rights or receive a benefit your self of some kind or have the potential to place others in harm to be arrested for impersonating. While stupid and selffish......I reserve the rest of my comments until I hear the actual charge and read it.

+1

Makes no sense if he didn't get something out of it or harm someone else. If just lying is against the law, woo hoo....

[TSOC357]

Amazing there is a law out there that will get a guy arrested for playing FF online but the Federal Courts don't like the "Stolen Valor" Law.

[retdetsgt]

the Federal Courts don't like the "Stolen Valor" Law.

Otherwise, you could arrest 90% of the men in bars talking to wimmen!!!

[sparrow803]

I doubt this case is going anywhere fast....usually you have to infringe on somebody else's rights or receive a benefit your self of some kind or have the potential to place others in harm to be arrested for impersonating. While stupid and selffish......I reserve the rest of my comments until I hear the actual charge and read it.

I agree, I don't think his intention was to harm anyone - just doin the internet thing. It is kind of unusual though in our area for a person to be arrested for something like this. Maybe just that one of our local firefighters saw his post and took offense - will follow this one to see what happens.

Where exactly do you draw the line impersonating a cop or firefighter? Would it be different if he put on a uniform and hung out at the mall bragging to folks?

[retdetsgt]

Where exactly do you draw the line impersonating a cop or firefighter? Would it be different if he put on a uniform and hung out at the mall bragging to folks?

Here, there are specific laws against impersonating a police officer, but I know of none about impersonating a fireman per se.

[greg72982]

If I wanted to impersonate a firefighter around here I would put a blue light on my car, turn it on, and proceed to play with myself while flying down the road as recklessly as possible.

[marinepilot]

If I wanted to impersonate a firefighter around here I would put a blue light on my car, turn it on, and proceed to play with myself while flying down the road as recklessly as possible.

Which would be easy for you since you rarely wear pants!

[MikeG]

Otherwise, you could arrest 90% of the men in bars talking to wimmen!!!

Me and my former SEAL teammates were just talking about that last week at the 'nam reunion at the local bar.

[marinepilot]

Me and my former SEAL teammates were just talking about that last week at the 'nam reunion at the local bar.

You too?

[MikeG]

I doubt this case is going anywhere fast....usually you have to infringe on somebody else's rights or receive a benefit your self of some kind or have the potential to place others in harm to be arrested for impersonating. While stupid and selffish......I reserve the rest of my comments until I hear the actual charge and read it.

+1

Makes no sense if he didn't get something out of it or harm someone else. If just lying is against the law, woo hoo....

But even if it doesn't go anywhere criminally, the arrest is something he would have to explain to any future public safety employer.

In addition, the PD scores points with the fire guys. They need heroes .
PD: "Don't worry Fire guys, we got the big, bad online paramedic phony hero. You can sleep easy now in the firehouse for the remainder of your shift instead of spending it searching the internet for him."
FD: "Thank you! it's been hard responding to all his online lies. We need our beauty rest and we would have been forced to sleep at the overtime rate if you hadn't nabbed him."

[retdetsgt]

But even if it doesn't go anywhere criminally, the arrest is something he would have to explain to any future public safety employer.

Except it's bad form to arrest someone for something when there is no law against it.

On the other hand, I suspect he has more in his background that might keep him out of public jobs.....

[retdetsgt]

Me and my former SEAL teammates were just talking about that last week at the 'nam reunion at the local bar.

Apparently, I'm one of very few who were there but wasn't a SEAL, Special Forces, sniper or tunnel rat.....

I remember years ago listening to some guy in a bar talking about when he was a sniper over there. I casually asked him what kind of rifle he used and he said he "didn't remember".....

[sparrow803]

Except it's bad form to arrest someone for something when there is no law against it.

On the other hand, I suspect he has more in his background that might keep him out of public jobs.....

I think this is the Iowa code for it;

718.2 Impersonating a public official.
Any person who falsely claims to be or assumes to act as an elected or appointed officer, magistrate, peace officer, or person authorized to act on behalf of the state or any subdivision thereof, having no authority to do so, commits an aggravated misdemeanor.
[C51, §2671, 2672; R60, §4298, 4299; C73, §3962, 3963; C97, §4901, 4902; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §13306, 13307; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, §740.4, 740.5; C79, 81, §718.2




I would look for other case law but Deliverance just came on TV - can't miss that!