Car in Wake deputy impersonation case had been auctioned by western NC sheriff's office

The Wake County Sheriff's Office said a man was trying to make traffic stops in the area of Creedmoor Road and Interstate 540 in Raleigh on Thursday afternoon. Witnesses said the man was driving a vehicle with law enforcement markings.

Grant Dallyn Hall, 24, was arrested near a Food Lion off Leesville Road in Raleigh on Thursday evening. He was driving a Ford Crown Victoria with a front roll bar, white doors, a black hood and faded letters on the side. "Dial 911" was seen painted near the gas tank, with "In God We Trust" and "Sheriff" decals on the trunk.

"Our surplus vehicles are auctioned and generally go to fleet resellers and parts companies," the Polk County Sheriff's Office said in a statement Friday. "Prior to any vehicle being released to a civilian, all decals and emergency lighting are supposed to be removed. We are also reviewing the suspect information and the information provided on the online for-sale posting and will be contacting our vendor to ensure that they are flagged from any future auctions."

This cruiser, with all the markings but the county name scratched out, raised suspicions for Raleigh mechanic Matt Parrish, who said he inspected the vehicle last week.

"It is normal to see those types of vehicles but never that heavily identified as a police vehicle," Parrish said.

A Facebook post obtained by WRAL showed Hall was trying to sell the cruiser on a group called "Police Interceptor Sales."

"He sounded a siren and flashed some lights and that was it. He drove off," Parrish said. "He had a weird smirk on his face, and he was kind of smiley about it. I kind of felt like he was up to no good, to be honest."

Eddie Caldwell, executive vice president and general counsel for the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association, said it's up to each county to set policies for disposing of property.

"It’s clearly problematic, and I’m sure the folks that were involved in the [Polk County] situation will revisit it and handle it differently next time," Caldwell said. "We all should do all that we can to minimize the opportunities for someone to impersonate a law enforcement officer."

A former Wake County deputy helped apprehend Hall after spotting the vehicle and recording the driver's actions.

"You've got somebody out here who's impersonating law enforcement. That's dangerous enough because we don't know who that person is [or] what they're thinking," Wake County Sheriff Gerald Baker said.

Baker said anyone who has concerns about someone trying to pull them over can call 911.