Better Luck Next Time

An Ohio man was arrested for impersonating a police officer — after allegedly pulling over a real cop.

Cleveland police say 50-year-old Micahel Gustafson, of nearby Parma, decided to join them in spirit, according to WEWS-TV.

He allegedly put a blinking light on his car's dashboard, then pulled over a woman driving another car at about 2:30 a.m.

Shining a flashlight in the woman's window, he told her he was a police officer and that she'd been driving erratically.

She turned out to be a Cleveland police detective, and she called for backup.

The wanna-be cop's car and home were searched by several examples of the real thing, yielding a stolen police radio, a gun and other law enforcement-related items.

Gustafson faces a grand-jury indictment on five counts, including impersonating an officer and carrying a concealed weapon.

— Thanks to Out There readers Sarah B., Mike S. and Doug S.

Haven't We Met Before?

An Ontario cop thought he was seeing double. He was.

Early in the morning of Jan. 2, provincial police Constable Chris Legere pulled over a car doing 95 mph in the eastbound lanes of Highway 401 (search), the major freeway that runs from Montreal to Detroit, reports the Canadian Press wire service.

He gave a speeding ticket to an 18-year-old woman from Akwesasne (search), the Mohawk Indian reservation that straddles the borders of Ontario, New York and Quebec.

A few hours later, Legere stopped the same car for doing 90 — this time in the westbound lanes.

At first, he thought he'd caught the same driver. It turned out to be her identical twin sister.

"They don't only share the same birthday, but they share the same offenses," said Constable Joel Doiron. "They'll be splitting speeding fines, too."

Sorry to Have to Write This One Up, Sir

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Police Chief Stephen Hogue was ticketed Wednesday, blamed for causing a four-car wreck on an entrance ramp to Interstate 75.

"I feel terrible," Hogue said. "It was completely my fault."

The chief said he was on his way to work and looked over his shoulder while trying to merge onto the interstate in his city-issued, 1999 Ford Crown Victoria (search). While he was looking, the traffic ahead of him stopped.

Hogue rear-ended a 2003 Volkswagen, which rolled into a 2000 Acura, which struck a 2003 Ford, police said.

"I'm just grateful no one was hurt," Hogue told The Tampa Tribune.

His car sustained about $4,000 worth of damage to the front end, police said.

Officer Paul Hoffman, a 20-year veteran, gave Hogue a $120 traffic citation for following too closely.

"We just want to do what we're supposed to do," Hoffman said with discomfort.

Besides the fine, Hogue faces four points on his driver's license unless he attends traffic school, said Maj. Jane Castor.

Hogue was cited for careless driving in November for scraping a pole while parking a car.

He told the officer to give him a ticket in that case, which cost $117.15 but no points.

That is the only other accident on Hogue's record.

— Thanks to Out There reader Harley W.

Adding Insult to Injury

ST. GEORGE, Utah (AP) — A man who managed to drive himself to the emergency room after being shot in the calf with a nail gun got more bad news after having his wound treated.

He was ticketed for not stopping when ordered.

Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Ben Lang started chasing the man's vehicle Tuesday after it was spotted driving recklessly on Interstate 15 and tailed the man to the hospital.

At one point, Lang said he told the driver over a loudspeaker to pull over and said the man got out of his car at a stop light. When Lang told him to get back in his car and pull over, the man took off again toward the hospital.

The driver was reacting to the emotion of an emergency, but an ambulance wasn't called and drivers don't have a right to drive like an emergency vehicle, Lang said.

Drivers must pull over when ordered by an officer, and Lang said it would have only taken a minute or two to explain the situation.

— Thanks again to Out There reader Harley W.

Inmates 'Re-Gift' Items for Others

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (AP) — These guys are definitely on Santa's naughty list.

Three inmates at a jail near Binghamton, N.Y., face felony charges after an outburst authorities say was sparked by a lack of Christmas presents.

The men were charged Jan. 6 with criminal mischief and aggravated harassment of an employee at the Broome County Jail.

A jail supervisor says the inmates hurled food trays, feces and urine at a jail officer last week. The supervisor says the inmates were upset because they didn't get any gifts.

The supervisor says it's not uncommon for inmates to become angry around the holidays. But he says this outburst was "a little extreme."

We Feel Your Pain, Dear

PEARLAND, Texas (AP) — Susan and Steven Manis say it was their fault their daughter was late for school so they shared her punishment — spending an hour with her in detention.

The couple says their 13-year-old daughter, Jessica Dunkley, was being unfairly punished for being late six times in October and November when the family's van wouldn't start.

So when administrators insisted the Pearland Junior High School East seventh-grader would have to spend an hour in detention, they decided to go with her.

"We're more at fault than she is," said Susan Manis, who had appealed the administration's decision.

After the punishment was over, Jessica said it was "a little embarrassing" to have her mom and stepfather in detention with her. But, she said, "I'm proud of them for sticking up for what they believe in."

During the hour, the trio copied two pages from a school handbook about pillars of good citizenship.

The first one, Susan Manis pointed out, is "stand up for your convictions."

— Thanks to Out There reader David B.

Compiled by FOXNews.com's Paul Wagenseil.

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