A 43-year-old Peoria man is charged with impersonating a Peoria County sheriff’s deputy and weapons crimes after he conducted an illegal traffic stop last week.
According to a news release, Sheriff Chris Watkins arrested Dennis Walker on Tuesday after the victim he attempted to stop identified him in a photo lineup.
Walker, who was previously incarcerated in Texas for impersonating an officer, also goes by the alias Joshua Coats. He is being held in the Peoria County Jail.
Deputies were alerted when a citizen reported being stopped in the 5800 block of Plank Road last Wednesday. The man said the suspect was driving an unmarked black Ford Explorer with red and blue flashing lights and no license plates.
Walker was described as wearing an all-black uniform with no patches or identifying insignia. He approached the driver, told him his driver’s license was suspended and cut it in half.
The man told Walker he knew his license was valid and he would file a complaint with the sheriff’s office. The suspect then returned to his vehicle and sped away.
Investigators determined Walker was staying at a Peoria residence and was wanted on an active warrant for domestic battery. He was taken into custody without incident with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Task Force.
A search of the residence produced an automatic rifle with a defaced serial number, several metal badges, a vest resembling law enforcement body armor, uniform pants with police-style equipment attachments, handcuffs and shackles, a pellet handgun and a pepper spray launcher.
In addition to the law enforcement impersonation, Walker faces charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing a defaced firearm, and not having valid Firearm Owner’s Identification [FOID].
Anyone with additional information regarding this investigation is encouraged to contact the sheriff’s office.
