Winnipeg man charged with impersonating police officer for eighth time

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This article was published 23/10/2017 (2963 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg police hope eight will finally be enough — and that it will stop a Winnipeg man from impersonating an officer on social media.

Thomas David Hanaway, 59, was charged with impersonating a police officer on Sept. 13; however, police allege he continued his impersonation and laid new charges against him on Sunday. The man’s actions are mostly on social media, including sites that memorialize police killed in action.

It’s the eighth time the man has been charged with pretending to be a police officer. He has been convicted six times.

“Maybe he’s living a fantasy. For whatever reason, he wants to pretend to be a police officer in the digital world.”–Const. Jay Murray.

“I don’t know exactly why he’s doing what he’s doing and why he refuses to stop,” said police spokesman Const. Jay Murray.

The suspect has tricked a number of people, but has not tried to gain materially by posing as an officer as far as police know, Murray said.

“Maybe he’s living a fantasy. For whatever reason, he wants to pretend to be a police officer in the digital world.”

Murray called the situation frustrating.

“We leave it to the courts to decide what’s next for this individual. I don’t know if, on the eighth time, this will be it, but we certainly hope so.”

The suspect had been using social media to communicate with police and scuba diving groups, portraying himself as an RCMP officer.

He was arrested at a residence in the 500 block of Manitoba Avenue both times this fall.

He faces multiple charges of impersonating a police officer and failing to comply with a probation order.