WEST MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP, Pa.–A retired police officer is facing charges for allegedly flashing his badge during a road-rage incident in West Manchester Township earlier this month, according to the criminal complaint.
Francis Xavier Fay III, 46, is charged with impersonating a public servant, disorderly conduct and reckless driving. Police say Fay is a retired police officer from Prince George County in Maryland. He retired due to a disability in May 2003, according to court documents.
A woman told police she was driving along Route 30 near West Market Street when she cut off Fay’s vehicle as she was changing lanes on Aug. 11. She reported that Fay’s vehicle got in front of her and hit his brakes. The woman turned onto West Market Street and said Fay’s vehicle continued to tailgate her for several miles. At one point, the woman said Fay flashed a star shaped badge and shouted out the window , “Pull the f#$k over, you’re f&%ked,” according to the criminal complaint.
The woman called 911 and told investigators she was extremely terrified.
Police began looking into the incident and discovered Fay was involved in a similar road-rage incident back in January 2014, according to court documents. In that encounter Fay was accused of pointing a gun at another driver.
Authorities spoke with Fay and he admitted to part of the woman’s account of what happened. He stated he did display his Prince George County police badge, but denied telling the woman to pull over, according to the criminal complaint. Fay explained to police that he was a former Prince County George police officer of 18 years, but was no longer due to a disability he sustained while on duty. Fay said he followed the woman because he was fearful for the safety of his children who were in the vehicle with him at the time of the incident, court documents state.
When questioned about his reasoning for displaying his badge, Fay stated he did it in order to notify the woman that he was calling the police, according to court documents. Officers explained to Fay that his reasoning didn’t quite make sense and questioned why he chose to tailgate the woman for such a long distance if he was afraid for his children’s safety. Fay stated that it was the right thing to do, according to the criminal complaint.
When police brought up the 2014 road-rage encounter– Fay said he did not do what he was accused of doing, court documents state.
Officers asked Fay as to why he keeps getting involved in these road-rage incidents and Fay claimed the other people involved in were not telling the truth, according to the criminal complaint.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 25.
