Pointe-du-Chêne man charged with personation of a peace officer: N.B. RCMP

A 58-year-old New Brunswick man has been charged with impersonating a peace officer.

A Pointe-du-Chêne, N.B., man is facing multiple charges, including personation of a peace officer.

Shediac RCMP detachment received a report on Tuesday that someone was in possession of a retired police car, uniforms and other equipment and was intending to commit criminal offences while personating a police officer.

The RCMP executed search warrants at two Pointe-du-Chêne residences later that day and arrested a 58-year-old man at one of the homes.

“During the searches, police seized two firearms, several pieces of police uniforms including duty belts, a Ford Taurus, radios, lights and sirens, and more,” reads a news release from the New Brunswick RCMP.

Daniel Downey appeared by video in Moncton provincial court Wednesday and was charged with:

• two counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm
• unlawfully conspired to personate a peace officer by being in possession of police equipment and uniforms
• unsafe storage of a firearm
• failure to comply with conditions of a release order

Downey was remanded into custody and is scheduled to return to court Friday.

“Our priority is protecting the public, and in the interest of public safety, our officers acted on this immediately to ensure that this situation came to a swift resolution,” said Cpl. Matthew Leblanc-Smith, with the New Brunswick RCMP, in a news release.

“Personating a police officer is an extremely serious offence that can have dire consequences for both the public and the offender.”

The investigation is ongoing.

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.