B.C. man who pulled over drivers with fake police lights gets conditional discharge

A North Vancouver man accused of passing himself off as an RCMP officer and pulling drivers over believed he was “engaging in Good Samaritan work on the highway,” and blurred the lines between volunteer work and policing, his lawyer told a sentencing hearing Friday.

Between January 1 and March 1 of last year, Wayne Peter Church, 59, was accused of falsely representing himself as a peace officer by identifying himself as a member of North Vancouver RCMP, and using equipment likely to cause the public to believe he was a peace officer.

Church pleaded guilty in North Vancouver provincial court to the latter charge related to impersonating a police officer by outfitting his pickup truck with emergency lights.

Judge Joseph Galati agreed to a joint sentencing submission from Crown and defence counsel for an 18-month conditional discharge, noting Church has taken rehabilitative steps since the offence.

Story continues below advertisement

Crown prosecutor Kenny Wu told the court police were alerted to the case through a 911 call from Church himself on March 1, 2025, reporting an erratic driver speeding up ‘The Cut’ on Highway 1 in North Vancouver.

Get breaking National news

Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won't miss a trending story.

Wu said a white Tesla was driving on the shoulder and trying to pass Church, who motioned for the driver to pull over.

Court heard the Tesla driver provided his driver’s licence to Church, who was wearing a high visibility vest and driving a vehicle with flashing lights.

Church, Wu said, gave the Tesla driver a verbal warning about speeding and told him to obey the rules of the road.

Three days later, Church was pulled over and arrested.

Police found several light bars and a high visibility vest in his Ford F-150 truck.

After the RCMP went public with a news release in mid-March, Crown counsel said two additional victims surfaced.

Court heard a woman was pulled over in January and given a verbal warning after being told she was “not driving well.”

Wu said a search warrant for Church’s dashcam revealed a third victim had been stopped on the Trans Canada Highway on Feb. 19 and given a verbal warning for speeding.

Story continues below advertisement

Crown counsel said Church’s truck was rigged with flashing red and white lights and the victims believed he was a police officer.

“This is the type of offending which has the potential to cause significant fear in the community and distrust of people who are otherwise asserting lawful authority as police officers,” Wu told the court.

Defence counsel Jonathan Israels said his client, who works full-time as a general contractor for his renovation company, is remorseful and apologetic.

Israels told the court Church has been an active volunteer most of his life – including as a lifeguard, and with the army and Royal Canadian Marine Search & Rescue.

Through tears, Church apologized to the victims, and said he’s committed to ensuring such behaviour never happens again.

“I recognize it was not only unlawful but undermined the public trust,” Church told the court, adding he should have done better.

If he completes his probation conditions, which include 15 hours of community service and not possessing after-market vehicle lights used by law enforcement, Church will avoid a criminal record.