Man arrested for allegedly pretending to be police

An 18-year-old Cleveland man was arrested June 21 after he pretended to be a police officer, according to a Lorain police report.

Wilbert Clayton was charged with impersonating a police officer and obstructing official business.

At 11:52 p.m., police received a call about a black male walking through an alley near Reid Avenue with a gun in his waistband and told nearby residents he was a Lorain police officer, according to the report.

Prior to reaching Reid, police observed a younger male matching the description walking in the vacant parking at the southeast corner of Broadway and East 28th Street, the report said.

Believing it was the suspect, officers approached the man, who immediately ran southeast, according to the report.

Police chased the man, but lost him in an alley between East 28th and East 30th streets, the report said.

Officers then advised arriving units to set up a perimeter for a K-9 Track, the report said.

Police began a K-9 Track in the area of East 28th and Apple Avenue, according to the report.

The K-9 Track led south through the alley toward East 30th, the report said.

Halfway through the alley, the K-9 alerted officers to a black plastic bag which contained chips, ice cream and cigars, the report said.

Officers found it had been dropped by Clayton and conducted a follow up to Dairy Mart, 2802 Broadway, where police suspect the items were purchased from.

Police asked the clerk about the items and the clerk said a Lorain police officer purchased them, the report said.

The clerk said Clayton is a frequent customer in the store and remembered him saying he was a security officer at In Focus of Cleveland group homes, and he may reside there, the report said.

Police contacted In Focus of Cleveland and learned Clayton was a resident and was missing from the home, the report said.

Investigators returned to the scene where Clayton fled and the K-9 led police to a vacant gasoline station parking lot in the southeast corner of East 28th and Broadway, the report said.

A black airsoft pellet gun was located in the lot, according to the report.

In Focus of Cleveland contacted Lorain police and were advised Clayton returned to the home, the report said.

When police arrived, Clayton admitted to telling multiple women he was a police officer and thought it would be fun to mess around, according to the report.

Police asked the clerk about the items and the clerk said a Lorain police officer purchased them, the report said.

Clayton