MAN BUSTED USING FAKE COP BADGE AT CASH CONVERTERS

By Renee Bogatko

A 30-year-old Holt man who pretended he was a police officer while trying to sell stolen tools at Cash Converters has copped several charges.

Police say the man and two other culprits tried to sell the tools at the Woden store on Monday.

During the transaction, the 30-year-old showed staff a police badge, posing as a police officer.

A short time later, staff discovered the tools had been stolen from a car in Franklin over the weekend.

Police arrived to arrest the trio, but two of them took off.

A 23-year-old Turner man was caught after a short foot chase and the 30-year-old ran to a nearby car and locked himself inside, urging the female driver to drive away.

Police were forced to smash the car window to take the man into custody.

The driver, a 46-year-old Melba woman, was also arrested, after officers realised the car had earlier failed to stop for police on the Tuggeranong Parkway.