Hilton Head man impersonating police officer allegedly detained driver in traffic stop
A Hilton Head man was charged Wednesday after allegedly pulling over and detaining a driver while impersonating a police officer, according to the Beaufort Police Department.
Louis Joseph Ramsey, 60, of Hilton Head, was charged Wednesday morning with kidnapping and impersonating a law enforcement officer, jail records show.
Police believe Ramsey was driving near Beaufort’s Bay Street on Monday afternoon when he conducted a traffic stop on a green Kia Soul for speeding, according to the man’s arrest warrants. Ramsey then allegedly detained the driver before calling into Beaufort County dispatch, stating he was a police officer and asking for backup.
Learning of the dispatch call, Beaufort police arrived at the Bay Street scene and arrested Ramsey, who police say was armed. The driver of the Kia Soul was not injured and did not know Ramsey, according to Deputy Chief Stephenie Price, a spokesperson for the Beaufort Police Department.
Price would not give details about what Ramsey did after allegedly detaining the driver. Under South Carolina law, kidnapping is defined as any forceful confinement or abduction of a person, even if the suspect does not take the kidnapped person to another location.
No additional charges are expected, Price said.
Ramsey’s kidnapping charge, considered a felony under South Carolina law, could earn him up to 30 years in prison if he is convicted. Impersonating a police officer, a Class C misdemeanor, could result in one year of prison and a fine of up to $500.
Ramsey was released Wednesday morning from the Beaufort County Detention Center on a $10,000 bond, court records show.
