The Chicago Tribune has an article about a man impersonating a Chicago firefighter.

A Northwest Side man was ordered held in lieu of $5,000 bail Sunday after he was charged with pretending to be a firefighter to get out of a traffic ticket.

Daniel R. Shafranski, 44, of the 5800 block of West Peterson Avenue, was pulled over at about 10 p.m. Saturday in the North Park neighborhood after his vehicle drifted across the lane lines and nearly struck a police car, according to court records.

Pulled over in the 5100 block of North Central Park Avenue, Shafranski flashed the ID window in his wallet, which contained a red Chicago Fire Department uniform patch, according to court records.

“I’m a Chicago fireman,” he reportedly told police. “What’s the problem?”

Officers didn’t buy it and asked Shafranski for his fire department ID card, but he could not produce one and told them he worked at “House 7,” according to Assistant State’s Attorney Jacqueline Kwilos. Shafranski was arrested and charged after police called that firehouse and confirmed he was not a fireman, Kwilos said.

He admitted to lying about being a firefighter, according to Kwilos. Shafranski also received a traffic citation for failure to stay in the driving lane and failure to change the address on his driver’s license, according to court records.

Tags: Assistant State’s Attorney Jacqueline Kwilos, Chicago Fire Department, Daniel R. Shafranski, man arrested after impersonating a Chicago firefighter, pretending to be a firefighter