The ballad of the world’s most extreme funeral escort driver and his infamous private security agency

New story out at Narratively – this time about a Florida police impersonator carrying out some of the most raucous funeral processions of all time.

From the early 2010s until fairly recently, Jeremy Dewitte and Motor State used vehicles outfitted with lights and sirens and dressed in uniforms with badges and duty belts to completely take over roads in central Florida and threaten drives they said were crowding the funeral processions they’re hired to protect. The completely over the top behavior caught the attention of numerous (real) law enforcement agencies and led to a wild, years’ long saga involving prison sentences, fraud, internet fame, stolen valor, Dr. Phil, WWE, lawsuits, and more!

The story also explores the phenomenon of police impersonation, an insidious crime that is even more unsavory in our current reality of excessive police violence. Thanks to Narratively for publishing this longform story and the typically top-notch layout and art! I encourage everyone to check out the site – it’s full of truly incredible stories about all kinds of surprising and interesting topics.