The Lethbridge Police Service is asking for the public’s help to determine if a man charged with personating an officer used his vehicle to pull over unsuspecting drivers. Twenty-year-old Will Nicholas Waddell of Lethbridge is facing charges after investigators seized a black Ford Explorer on May 9, 2026, that had been heavily modified to look like a police vehicle.
Officers with the Lethbridge Police Service Traffic Response Unit spotted the SUV traveling along Mayor Magrath Drive South. The vehicle featured a variety of unauthorized equipment, including a light bar, siren speakers, a spotlight, push bar, antennas, and a police interceptor decal. It was also fitted with an ignition override switch and toggle bars to control the emergency lights.
Police noted that Waddell had been previously pulled over, warned, and ticketed, and was directed to remove the equipment before this most recent arrest. Under the Alberta Traffic Safety Act, Vehicle Equipment Regulation, the use of sirens, spotlights, and flashing lights is strictly prohibited on civilian vehicles, with only specific exceptions for vehicles like tow trucks, snow plows, and oversized load escorts.
Under Section 130 of the Criminal Code of Canada, falsely representing oneself as a peace officer or using equipment in a way that would lead someone to believe they are being stopped by police is an indictable offence that can carry a penalty of up to five years in prison.
Authorities are urging anyone who may have been pulled over, or witnessed this vehicle conducting a traffic stop, to call 403-328-4444 and reference file 26008842. Waddell has been released from custody and is scheduled to appear in the Lethbridge Provincial Court on July 8, 2026.
