Suspected Cop Impersonater Faces New Porn Charge

A San Jose man who already faced several serious charges for allegedly impersonating a cop, now has a new problem.

Police in Atascadero said forensic analysis of a laptop they found in his mock police cruiser contained nearly 2,000 images of child pornography.

Mark Polini was initally arrested in July in Atascadero.  The new charges lead to a new arrest in San Jose.

Detectives from San Luis Obispo County traveled to San Jose with an arrest warrant in hand.   They said Polini was transported back south without incident last Friday.

Atascadero cops say they initially stumbled on Polini one early July morning as he was sitting in a black Crown Victoria behind a gas station.  They weren't aware of any surveillance in the area so they started to chat him up and in the end found him to be in possession of a loaded concealed weapon.

His car was decked out in cop gear including front and rear strobe lights, a siren, a center console computer and a prisoner cage.

They say he was dressed in all black and was wearing a black CHP baseball cap at the time.

Polini quickly posted bail.  He appeared in early August to face charges of possession of dangerous weapon, carrying a concealed weapon in vehicle and impersonating a peace officer.

The Atascadero Police Department would still like to know if Polini pulled anybody over between their town and his hometown of San Jose. If you have any information call 805-461-5058.

If you ever find yourself in a position where you wonder about the authenticity of an officer who pulls you over, you are allowed to ask them for identification.  You could also call 911 and ask the dispatcher for help.

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