Robert Bohan, a 60-year-old resident of Tampa, FL, insists that his Crown Victoria is just fine, but Florida Highway Patrol disagrees. See, Bohan’s car is painted up in the same black and tan livery used by the FHP, and they’re not all too impressed by the notion that this fella might be impersonating the police, local news site WTSP reports. So, for the third time this year, Bohan has received a citation over a law he claims he never knew about.
Florida law states that no one is allowed to “color or cause to be colored any motor vehicle or motorcycle the same or similar color as the color or colors so prescribed for the Florida Highway Patrol.” Bohan, for his own part, claimed to officers that he had no idea about the law.
The problem is that Bohan has been pulled over for this exact same offense twice this year: once in February, then again in June. Maybe the third time will be the charm for the gentleman from Florida, who could be charged with a first-degree misdemeanor for breaking this specific law.
Initial reporting isn’t totally clear at the moment, but the trooper who pulled Bohan over implied in his report that Bohan likely purchased this car at auction — something that is totally fine in the state. Before they’re sold, though, the retired cop cars have to be stripped of all official markings, and the tan should also be painted over. Driving around with the paint buffed off to reveal the tan paint beneath is also a punishable offense.
This isn’t the first time this has happened over in Florida. Earlier this year, we wrote about a woman who was pulled over for wrapping her car in the black-and-tan FHP scheme; she claimed she just liked the color combination. Bohan, who seems to be cruising around in a retired cruiser, has made no such plea to aesthetic taste.
