An 18-year-old was arrested at a Florida high school after he impersonated a corrections officer.
Erick Anthony Moore Jr. was arrested by police as he talked with staff at Miami Palmetto Senior High School around 1 p.m. on Thursday.
According to officers, Moore was wearing a Miami-Dade County Corrections and Rehabilitation Department jacket, a traffic vest, and a State of Florida Corrections identification badge that did not look like him.
Upon investigation, officers discovered the badge ID showed the name “P. Hardemon.”
Moore was asked if he was hired by the corrections department, telling officers “yes” and that he was going to be sent to the “academy soon.”
Police detained Moore and escorted him to the school’s main office after noticing he had a handcuff case on his belt and a pouch on his right hip that resembled a firearm.
After a pat-down, officers found a pair of handcuffs, a thermometer in the shape of a firearm, a pocketknife, and two credit cards that did not belong to him.
Moore was arrested for impersonating an officer, trespassing on school property with a firearm, unlawfully possessing a stolen credit or debit card, burglary, and unlawful use of a police badge.
During his arrest, Moore said he was having heart pain and difficulty breathing. He was taken to Baptist Hospital and released, before he was transferred to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools released a statement, which read "Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) is aware of an isolated incident involving an individual who attempted to access one of our school campuses yesterday. Thanks to the safeguards in place, Miami-Dade Schools Police and school security quickly detained the individual, and he was arrested upon further investigation. M-DCPS remains committed to fostering a safe learning environment for students and employees.”