Cops: Fake Cop Handcuffed, Drove Teen to Port Jeff Station Home

A Port Jefferson Station man was arrested by Suffolk County Police after he reportedly posed as an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Officer on two separate occasions, one of which involved handcuffing a 19-year-old and shortly bringing him back to his home, according to police.

Suffolk County Police said David Bradley, 39, was involved in a road rage incident on Sunday in Port Jefferson Station, at the intersection of Woodhull Avenue and Route 347, around noon. Following the incident, police said, Bradley activated emergency lights on his automobile, pulled the other car over, identified himself as an ICE Officer, and handcuffed the teen driving the vehicle.

Police said Bradley then placed the individual into his own vehicle, drove him to his home in Port Jefferson Station, brought him inside, and "removed the handcuffs after approximately five minutes and returned the victim to his vehicle and allowed him to leave."

The reported victim brought the incident to the attention of police on Monday, and Bradley later went into the Sixth Precinct to report the road rage incident to police. He was arrested at the station.

Bradley was arrested on misdemeanor charges of unlawful imprisonment in the second degree, and two charges of criminal impersonation in the second degree, and is being held for arraignment in First District Court in Central Islip on Wednesday.

The second impersonation charge stems from an incident on May 4, when police said Bradley attempted to gain access to a crime scene by unsuccessfully identifying himself as an ICE agent to a Suffolk County Police Officer.

According Lt. Michael S. Murphy, commanding officer of the Sixth Precinct, an officer had reported that a man posing as an ICE Officer walked onto a robbery crime scene investigation on May 4 and attempted to engage the officers in conversation, when he was told to leave the scene of the crime.

"At that point, to follow up on who he is - compared to having a robbery - it wasn't feasible for the officer to do both," Murphy said.

"You don't have fake cops regularly coming up to crime scenes and trying to get in. That's unusual," he said. "What's even more unusual is that he approached a police officer and tried to put one over."

Murphy said that when Sunday's incident was reported on Monday, "the officer said 'Hold on. That's the guy who was there.'"

Police are asking anyone who may have had similar contact with Bradley to call the Sixth Precinct Crime Section at 631-854-8626.

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