What did Robert Muschette Jr. do? Maryland security guard charged over impersonation

A Maryland security guard, named Robert Muschette Jr., was arrested on Thursday, March 9, 2023, for allegedly impersonating a police officer. The cops took Robert into custody from the parking lot of the Mall of Prince George in Hyattsville, Maryland.

Authorities claimed that they noticed red and blue emergency lights on Robert’s vehicle before the arrest. They also discovered that he had no authority to possess the emergency lights on his car.

Police are yet to reveal Rober Muschette Jr’s motive in acting the way he did. Apart from recovering several items, including a ballistic vest and handcuffs, in Muschette’s car, the police department has shown concerns about civilians being in contact with Robert Muschette Jr.

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Police spotted Robert Muschette Jr. driving his car with red and blue emergency lights on it in the mall’s parking lot

53-year-old Robert Muschette Jr. was taken into custody on Thursday at around 11.25 pm local time when police officers noticed him driving around in a mall parking lot with emergency lights on. Despite being a security guard, police discovered that Muschette did not have the authority to use those lights.

When the police approached Robert Muschette Jr., he claimed to be working for “DC police.” He later admitted that he was associated with a security agency and that was a security guard himself. However, police found that he was authorized to have yellow emergency lights, and not the red and blue ones.

After further investigation, the cops recovered several items from his car, including a police-style badge, a loaded handgun, ammunition, a ballistic vest, handcuffs, and two hats with “police” mentioned on them.

It was later discovered that Robert Muschette Jr. had previously been convicted of a misdemeanor and was thus restricted from possessing firearms under Maryland law. He currently faces several charges, including impersonating a police officer and having a loaded firearm in a vehicle. Apart from this, he also faces four more weapon charges.

Hyattsville police are yet to discover a motive and have shown concerns over his behavior. The department wrote on Facebook:

“We take our relationship with our community seriously and we are concerned that members of the community may have interacted with Muschette Jr. while he represented himself to be a police officer.”

Jarod Towers, the Hyattsville Police Chief, addressed the matter and said:

“This is clearly the case for an individual who was on a power trip, who is doing nothing more than using illegitimate authority to stop people and victimize people.”

He further added:

“We want to be able to prosecute him and hold him accountable for any crimes he may have committed while acting as a police officer.”

Police Chief Jarod Towers additionally stated:

“This person was not associated with law enforcement. Not associated with the Hyattsville or Hyattsville Police Department.”

Authorities are trying to discover whether or not Robert Muschette Jr. had any suspicious interactions with any civilian while impersonating a cop. According to the Hyattsville Police Department, police impersonation incidents can be detrimental, and such acts can jeopardize the link between law enforcement agencies and the general public.

The department specifically talked about this case and mentioned that Muschette could come into contact with people while they thought he was a real police officer. Towers said:

“If he stopped you or interacted with you in any way, we want you to come forward and let us know.”

The 53-year-old security guard was released from jail on a bond of $5,000 on Friday. The same has been confirmed in court records. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 10, 2023, at Prince George’s County court.