Centreville Man Arrested After Handcuffing Driver: Police

CHANTILLY, VA — A Centreville man is facing charges of impersonating a police officer after he placed another driver in handcuffs Wednesday evening following a traffic accident, say Fairfax County police. Arta Javanbakhtamarlouei, 33, was arrested at the scene of the accident on Lee Jackson Memorial Highway (Route 50) and Elmwood Street in Chantilly.

The Centreville man told an officer who arrived at the scene of the crash, at about 5:45 p.m., that he placed the other driver in handcuffs because "he felt threatened by the way the other driver was acting," the police said in a statement.

Javanbakhtamarlouei was wearing a grey tank top, black pants and a black duty belt with several pouches, including a holster with a realistic-looking firearm that turned out to be a BB gun, the police said.

The Centreville man told the officer that he had the authority to arrest people, and had completed an eight-hour criminal justice course.

Javanbakhtamarlouei also had a wallet with two badges that turned out to be a concealed weapon badge and a private investigator badge. "The concealed weapon badge was purchased online and the private investigator badge was allegedly obtained from a previous security officer job, but he had not worked in the security field in more than four years," the police said.

Here are some tips from the Fairfax County police on recognizing an officer:

• Ask for the officer’s credentials, to verify they are who they stated they were.
• Officers should always introduce themselves and advise who they work for.
• Observe their uniform patches and verify it is the agency they told you.
• Be familiar with the police cruiser markings in your jurisdiction to assist you in identifying their authenticity.
• If you ever feel uncomfortable, don’t hesitate to call 911 to verify the identity of officer you are dealing with. Dispatchers will be able to confirm this information over the phone and use GPS coordinates to verify an actual officer’s status.

Images: The Centreville man carried a wallet with a concealed weapon badge and a private investigator badge; below, Arta Javanbakhtamarlouei (FCPD).