Las Vegas man arrested for impersonating police officer

A Las Vegas man is accused of falsely identifying himself as a police officer during a dispute with two women outside a fast-food restaurant.

Las Vegas police officer Bill Cassell said Scott Lambeth was arrested Thursday on a charge of impersonating a police officer, a gross misdemeanor.

Cassell said police weren’t amused when they received the report about the Wednesday night incident, and he had a message for anyone else who might consider posing as an officer.

“It’s not something cute to do,” the spokesman said. “It’s a serious criminal offense that could profoundly impact the rest of your life.”

Cassell also had praise for the two women who contacted police. He described them as good witnesses who obtained the suspect’s license-plate number, reported the incident to police, and avoided escalating the confrontation.

“That’s just exactly what we ask in these situations,” Cassell said.

The spokesman said the incident began with a “minor altercation” in the drive-through lane of the restaurant in the 5000 block of East Tropicana Avenue.

During the altercation, Cassell said, a man exited his vehicle and approached the two women in their vehicle. The man identified himself as a police officer “and proceeded to chastise them for their driving behavior,” Cassell said. The man also threatened to issue the driver a citation.

In turn, the women asked the man for his credentials.

“He did not have that, obviously, because he’s not a legitimate police officer,” Cassell said.

Cassell said the women obtained the man’s license-plate number before he left the area.

Contact reporter Carri Geer Thevenot at cgeer@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0264.