About a week and a half ago, two men disguised as police officers, pulled over a woman in Austin with an LED deck light and a white crown victoria. Ever since then, the APD have been on the hunt for the men and cracking down on any one they suspect of impersonating an officer…which brings me to the events of Wednesday night, April 9th…

The background:

My husband started an online company, which manufactures and distributes police lights, sirens, and vehicles, including Dodge Chargers and Crown Vics. A black Crown Vic decked out (excessively, I might add) with LED police lights, sirens, antennas, and grill serves as the company’s demo car

The scene:

When: Wednesday, April 9th, 2008

Where: Conoco gas station 24th and Rio Grande

What: My husband walked into the gas station for some Perrier and Gummi bears, while I sat waiting in the passenger seat. As he strolled out of the store and opened the car door, a scene occurred which before then I had only witnessed in movies during a drug bust.

9 police cars with flashing lights and blaring sirens created a blockade around our crown victoria (and me) and demanded my husband move away from the car. The officers then grabbed the water and those chewy, sugar free gummi bears from him (Exhibit A), searched him, and demanded (all 9 of them which eventually became 13) what the car was for.

After two hours of explaining the company to them. Of showing them catalogs, the Web site, the paperwork. They let us go; finally realizing my husband in no way resembled the sketches of the two men, as he is not African American nor imprinted with barbed wire tatoos.

They never gave back our Perrier and Gummi bears.

I’ll post a video tomorrow of the scene!