A man police think set a number of summer fires is also charged with trying to fool a Springfield family by allegedly claiming to be a police officer. Adam L. Grant is charged with false impersonation of a law enforcement officer.
Grandmother Cathie Andrews says she got a knock at her door. “I said 'well who are you?' and he flashed the badge,” Andrews said. “I said ‘what is it you need to see’ and he made up a story that she had some facts that she knew about someone having sex with an underage person.”
Andrews was suspicious of Grant but says she felt she had to follow an officer's orders. She let Grant inside where he showed her a "private investigator" badge. Eventually, her 15-year-old granddaughter left with him without permission. “It is a trust issue you expect that if they come to your door for a reason that they are the person they say they are,” Andrews said. “Obviously I was fooled.”
According to court documents police found the girl with Grant in Willard. Officers returned her to her grandmother's home. Police say if anyone is unsure of an officer they should ask for proof. “Ask for identification there is nothing wrong with asking a police officer for identification,” Springfield Police Officer David Snider said.
Snider says not every officer will be in uniform but there are other things to look for. “It is SPD policy that anytime an officer is dressed in plain clothes or dressed in different uniform attire the badge is plainly visible and displayed next to the firearm,” Snider said. “Pay attention to the details of the badge. Make sure it says Springfield city police on it. If it says something along the lines of security, security services or special police, that should send a red flag up right there that this is not a legitimate person.”
Andrews says she won't be fooled again. “I felt stupid because I didn't ask the proper questions,” Andrews said. According to court documents, police seized the badge from Grant when they found him with the teenage girl in Willard.
Grant was previously charged with burglary, arson and knowingly burning or exploding. In August of last year, investigators say he and another man set a vacant home and several hay bales on fire in the Willard area. In 2009, Grant pleaded guilty to theft. He was sentenced to five years probation.
