Would-be Vigilante Gets Himself Arrested Pretending to Be a Cop

A 23-year-old would-be vigilante arrested for battery and impersonating a police officer told police he was trying to bust what he thought was a drug deal among boys.

Stephen L. Hammer, of Evergreen Park, was charged with impersonating a police officer—a felony—and battery on June 20 on the 9700 block of Kedzie Avenue.

Police said a group of boys were walking the train tracks near 96th Street and Utica Avenue around 3:45 p.m. that day when Hammer emerged from the bushes yelling, “Get on the ground, this is the police.”

When one of the boys froze, Hammer grabbed him by the back of the neck and forced him to the ground, according to police. The boy later told police that the fall caused him to hit his head on the train tracks. He was not treated for injury, police said.

A witness told police that he heard the whole thing from his yard and saw Hammer picking through the boys’ pockets. Hammer took off running after the witness approached and asked Hammer for his police badge and identification, police said.

Around 7:30 p.m. that night, one of the boys saw Hammer walking in the 9700 block of Kedzie Avenue and asked a friend’s mother to call police.

Hammer was subsequently arrested by police officers. He later told investigators that he thought the boys were about to exchange drugs and that he went picking through their pockets to prevent it, police said.

Nothing was reported stolen, and no drugs were reported on the boys.

The battery charge was brought against Hammer for touching the boy on the back of his neck, rather than for the fall, police said.