An Elyria man faces several charges in connection with posing as a Cleveland police officer.
Elyria police were called to Boomers in the city Friday night after 911 calls came in for a man with a gun.
Police told newsnet5 that a customer wanted to take a drink off of the back porch of the bar. Police said that Taj Talkington told a customer that he was a undercover police officer, he flashed a badge, that he knew that law and it was okay to step off the porch with a drink in hand.
A bartender confronted Talkington. "I knew he wasn't a Cleveland cop," said the bartender who did not want to be identified. They got into a verbal fight. It escalated she said. According to the bartender when she told Talkington to leave he got out a pair of handcuffs and tried to handcuff her. After that she said he pulled out a gun and pushed it into her stomach. "The last four nights I can't sleep," she explained. She said she still has the bruises.
Police said when Talkington heard the sirens he took off. They found him in the parking lot of a nearby bank.
Elyria police Captain Chris Costantino said they also found handcuffs, Cleveland police badges, and what turned out to be a fake gun in bushes nearby. "A car was broken into in a parking lot of an apartment complex," said Costantino. The owner told police badges and handcuffs were taken. Costantino said they were the same items recovered near Talkington Friday night.
Cleveland police said they had no record of the badge number recovered. Elyria police are still investigating.
