Man accused of impersonating a cop holds woman at gunpoint

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    COBB County, Georgia (WGCL) — Neighbors in a Cobb County community are stunned. Residents said they were shocked to learn that the man living in a home on Forest View Trail in Smyrna is accused of impersonating a police officer.

“It’s really scary that something like this would happen in our neighborhood,” Neighbor Veronica Davis said.

“I was outraged about it. This is a quite community. Neighbors walk their dogs; people say hello while they’re doing yardwork, so I was appalled by it,” Neighbor Andre Hubbard said.

Police arrested 43-year-old Chad Diefenderfer and charged him with impersonating an officer and aggravated assault with a weapon.

According to the criminal warrant, Diefenderfer approached a woman who was delivering a package to his home and demanded she show identification. He then pulled out a pistol and said he was a cop.

“The fact that someone in our neighborhood is faking being a police officer is crazy and scary and I just hope he is held accountable,” Davis said.

When Smyrna Police arrived, they said Diefenderfer showed them an expired badge from Barbour County, Alabama. According to the warrant, the sheriff’s office there said the suspect has never worked for their department.

So CBS46 went to the suspects home to get his side of the story and no one answered.

“I’m glad he was arrested, and I hope nothing like this happens again in our neighborhood,” Davis said.

“It’s cruel to pull a weapon. I’m thinking he shouldn’t even have a weapon because he doesn’t have the discipline,” Hubbard said.

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