UPDATE 6/17/2026: Melvin Andrew Oshea Pinkney, 43, of California, has been charged with impersonating a police officer after Montgomery County police said he used red and blue lights to pull over a covert police vehicle in downtown Silver Spring on June 15, 2026. The misdemeanor charge carries a possible penalty of up to two years in jail and/or a $2,000 fine.
According to the allegations, a Montgomery County police officer and other members of special assignment teams were conducting covert enforcement in downtown Silver Spring at about 12:15 a.m. when the officer saw a maroon Ford Taurus on Colesville Road near Sligo Creek Parkway. Police said the vehicle closely resembled an unmarked police vehicle and later activated red and blue police-style lights after changing lanes near the officer’s covert vehicle.
The officer pulled over near Colesville Road and Greyrock Drive, and the Taurus stopped directly behind him. Police said the driver got out and began walking toward the officer. When the officer activated the police lights on his own covert vehicle, the driver allegedly rushed back to the Taurus and turned off the red and blue lights.
The officer then drove around and spoke with the driver, described in the filing as a Black man in his mid-40s wearing a black shirt and khaki BDU pants. During that exchange, the driver allegedly said, “Don’t you know how to use turn signal?” Police said he then claimed he worked for St. Mary’s County and said he was permitted to drive his vehicle anywhere in Maryland and make traffic stops anywhere in the state. He also allegedly said he was headed to a part-time job at Shalla Ethiopian Restaurant.
Police said the officer later checked the vehicle registration and found the Taurus was registered to Melvin Andrew Pinkney, not to the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office or any law enforcement agency. Officers then went to Shalla Ethiopian Restaurant on Sligo Avenue in Silver Spring, where another officer saw the man wearing a duty belt with a badge similar to a Montgomery County police badge. Police said the belt also contained a handgun, Taser, handcuffs, pepper spray and an expandable baton.
When asked for law enforcement credentials and where he worked, Pinkney allegedly responded, “St. Mary’s County,” while also saying he was working part time as security with his company. When an officer clarified by asking whether he meant the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, Pinkney allegedly replied, “yeah.” Police said he then stated he did not have credentials with him because he was working security.
Another officer later asked whether Pinkney was currently an active law enforcement officer. Police said Pinkney stated he was not and was going through the hiring process with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office. The officer who had been pulled over confirmed Pinkney was the person who had stopped him, and Pinkney was arrested.
Pinkney was initially ordered held without bond on June 15, 2026, after a judicial officer found a reasonable likelihood that he posed a danger to the alleged victim, another person or the community. The next day, he was granted a $5,000 unsecured personal bond, which was posted. A trial is scheduled for July 30, 2026, in Montgomery District Court in Rockville.
6/17/2026: 42-year-old Melvin Andrew Pinkney Jr. of California, MD has been arrested and charged with impersonating a police officer after attempting to conduct a traffic stop on a Montgomery County Police officer.
Detectives believe there may be victims who were stopped by Pinkney while he was posing as a law enforcement officer and are urging them to come forward.
On Monday, June 15, 2026, at approximately 12:15 a.m., a Montgomery County Police officer assigned to the 2nd District Special Assignment Team was driving an unmarked police cruiser during a proactive enforcement detail in downtown Silver Spring.
Pinkney, who was driving a Ford Taurus, approached the officer’s cruiser from the rear, activated red and blue emergency lights and initiated a traffic stop.
As Pinkney got out of the Ford wearing a holster, the officer activated the cruiser’s emergency equipment. Pinkney then returned to his vehicle.
The officer stepped out of his cruiser and spoke with Pinkney, who stated he was working security at a nearby restaurant and identified himself as an active-duty deputy sheriff with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office and as a retired police officer with the Metropolitan Police Department. Pinkney was in possession of a handgun and a valid concealed carry permit. Pinkney did not provide any law enforcement credentials.
Further investigation determined that Pinkney’s vehicle was privately owned and was not authorized as a law enforcement vehicle, making the use of red and blue emergency lights on his vehicle illegal.
Pinkney was arrested and transported to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit, where he was charged with impersonating a police officer. He is currently being held without bond.
Detectives are asking anyone who may have been a victim of Melvin Andrew Pinkney Jr. to call Crime Solvers of Montgomery County, MD website at www.crimesolversmcmd.org by clicking the “www.p3tips.com” link at the top of the page, or by calling 1-866-411-8477.
