Indicted for Posing as a Policeman
Krishna L. Parihar, a Brooklyn man accused on Labor Day of posing as a police officer, has been indicted by a grand jury and arraigned in county court, Riverside, on charges of impersonation, criminal possession of a loaded handgun, and illegal possession of a speed-loading clip.
Mr. Parihar, 24, was headed east across Napeague toward Montauk in a heavy flow of traffic when, according to a local emergency medical technician who was driving behind him, he turned on a set of illegally installed emergency lights, the same kind used by police officers. His 2015 black Dodge Charger forced numerous motorists to the shoulder as it pushed on east.
The E.M.T. became suspicious after noticing that the Charger had out-of-state plates, from North Carolina. At the Hither Hills State Park overlook, he saw that it had stopped, pulled off, and confronted the driver, who hit the gas and sped away toward Montauk.
The E.M.T. called East Hampton Town police, who caught up with Mr. Parihar just east of the Montauk recycling center. His behavior struck the officers as odd. According to their report, "Parihar, who was wearing an imitation New York City Police badge and an empty holster on his belt, provided conflicting information when questioned by officers. A loaded 9-m.m. handgun was recovered from the driver's-seat floor of the vehicle as well as a second loaded magazine from the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Red and white emergency flashing lights, handcuffs and handcuff keys were also recovered."
A woman who was with him in the car was not charged. She appears to have accompanied him to East Hampton Town Justice Court in September for a court date a week or so after his arraignment but has not been seen at any of his several court appearances since.
Mr. Parihar, according to the Legal Aid Society lawyer who represented him in the local court, told East Hampton Town Justice Rana he was a student at Westbury College, about to begin his third year of school, and a sales representative for Verizon. She said he had never been in trouble with the law.
He was arraigned in County Court, Riverside, on Thursday, in the courtroom of Justice Martin Efman, who continued the bail of $50,000 initially set by Justice Rana. Mr. Parihar posted it after a few days and has been free ever since. He has never missed a court appearance.