Retired cop charged with impersonating... a cop

SEATTLE -- A retired police officer allegedly used his uniform to pose as police officer while working at a Capitol Hill construction site late last year, Seattle police said.

Retired Seattle police officer Mike Deacy is charged in Seattle courts with one count of criminal impersonation, a gross misdemeanor that carries up to 364 days in jail.

According to the Seattle police, Deacy was directing traffic Dec. 13 at a construction site near the corner of Bellevue and Pine. A young woman complained about Deacy's behavior, police said, and he was investigated by a police board.

It was not immediately known what actions spurred the young woman to complain.

Police officers can request that an Extended Authority Commission be granted by the department once they retire, but Deacy neglected to do so.

He will appear in court later this month.