Man accused of impersonating officer, battery of victim he called an ‘illegal alien’

Police on Thursday arrested a man accused of impersonating an officer at a University City McDonald’s after the suspect allegedly accosted the victim for being an “illegal alien.”

At approximately 12 p.m., according to San Diego police, a man entered the restaurant, at 4260 Nobel Drive, and grabbed the manager, a Hispanic male, from behind.

The 40-year-old suspect allegedly wrapped his arm around the man’s neck and accused him of being an “illegal alien.” He told the manager he was arresting him, then tried to lead him outside, police said, but other McDonald’s employees came to their boss’ aid. When security guards approached, the suspect left the scene.

The real police soon arrived and officers detained the man, who they determined was not a law enforcement officer. He was arrested on suspicion of impersonating a police officer and for battery.

No one was injured, police said, while acknowledging that there are several videos of what happened that have been shared on social media.

“We understand how concerning this can be for members of our community,” department officials said in a statement. “We want to assure residents that impersonating a law enforcement officer is a crime and the San Diego Police Department takes any reports of this nature very seriously.”