IU employee, Bloomington resident arrested on charges of impersonating police officers

Police arrested two Bloomington residents, one of them an IU employee, early Tuesday morning on suspicion of impersonating an IU Police Department officer.\nKyle J. Coppinger, an IU Residential Programs and Services employee, and Christopher D. Marshall, 21, each face two preliminary counts of impersonating a police officer and confinement.\nAt about 1:35 a.m. Tuesday morning, a 21-year-old woman was trying to park her car at her apartment complex when she put her hazard lights on and called her boyfriend to help her parallel park, Bloomington Police Department Sgt. Jeff Canada said, reading from a police report.\nWhile she was sitting in her car, a red Dodge Intrepid pulled up behind her and Coppinger approached her car, according to the police report. Coppinger produced an IUPD business card and asked the victim for her license and registration. While Coppinger went back to his vehicle, the victim called her boyfriend and told him to come outside, Canada said.\nMarshall approached her vehicle after Coppinger came back with her identification. Coppinger began beating on the victim’s window and asked her if she wanted a parking ticket, Canada said. The victim called 911 as her boyfriend approached the two suspects. Coppinger threw the identification cards at the victim’s boyfriend and left the scene, according to the police report.\nLater at about 3 a.m., a 23-year-old male was pulling into his apartment complex in the 1600 block of East Hillside Drive and noticed a red Dodge Intrepid pulling up behind him. Coppinger identified himself to the victim as an IUPD officer, according to the report. The victim repeatedly asked why Coppinger was pulling him over. Coppinger and the victim were having a heated debate when a neighbor came out to help the victim, Canada said. Coppinger and Marshall then proceeded to drive away, he said.\nBPD Officer Brad Seifers believed Coppinger and Marshall were targeting college students and drove to downtown bars to see if he could spot the Red Dodge Intrepid. While patrolling on Fourth and Dunn streets, Seifers noticed the vehicle and began following it, Canada said. Coppinger pulled the vehicle into a parking spot on Fourth and Dunn Streets and shut off the lights, Canada said. Seifers called for a back-up officer to perform a high-risk traffic stop.\nBoth of the victims were called to the scene to identify the suspects after Seifers pulled them over, Canada said. Both victims positively identified both Coppinger and Marshall, Canada said.\nCanada said an officer should always have his badge on him and an identification card. He also said if an officer were to pull someone over, it would be by visual means, flashing police car lights, not by physically approaching a car.