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The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

Man Calls 911 Posing as Police Officer to Get 'Faster Response,' Police Say

 Joshua Brown got into a fight on Christopher Street, then called 911 pretending to be an officer, police said.
Joshua Brown got into a fight on Christopher Street, then called 911 pretending to be an officer, police said.
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Flickr/Linus Henning

GREENWICH VILLAGE — A 21-year-old man who had gotten into a fight called 911 and pretended to be a police officer in the hopes of getting a “faster response,” police said.

Joshua Brown was fighting with someone in front of 77 Christopher St. about 2 a.m. on Oct. 19, police said. He called 911 and told the operator he was a police officer and needed help.

When police arrived at the scene, Brown confessed he was not a police officer and just wanted a faster response to his call, police said.

Brown charged with reckless endangerment and criminal impersonation, with police accusing him of putting officers in danger as they sped to the scene.

Police also issued Brown a violation for unlawful possession of marijuana  after finding three bags of marijuana in his pants pocket.

His attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Brown has two prior arrests pending. One was on March 21, for identity theft and grand larceny. The second was on Aug. 9, for a standing or parking violation and driving while ability impaired, records show.

Other recent crimes in the 6th Precinct include:

► Police were surrounded by a crowd and attacked after trying to arrest a man who was walking on a catwalk in a subway tunnel at 14th Street and Eighth Avenue, the NYPD said.

An officer was in the process of arresting Dwayne Grenade for criminal trespass when Grenade's friends surrounded the officer, intimidating him and refusing to leave the station, at 4:05 a.m. on Oct. 18, police said.

The officer radioed for help and when more officers arrived, they found their colleague surrounded.

The officers arrested Grenade and his friend Sharayne Bolar, 23, after she punched one of the officers in the neck and spat on two others, police said.

The officer who was punched was taken to Lenox Hill HealthPlex by EMS workers, police said.

Bolar was charged with felony assault, resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration and harassment. Her lawyer could not immediately be reached.

Grenade was charged with criminal trespassing. His lawyer did not immediately respond to a voicemail left for comment.

► A client at a welfare center attacked a Human Resources Administration peace officer, police said.

Luis Francisco, 51, was at Waverly Job Center at 12 W. 14th St., which is a city-owned building where people can receive benefits including food stamps and Medicaid, on Oct. 15 at 9:15 a.m., police said.

Police said a peace officer with the HRA police department was trying to calm a woman who was upset when Feliciano started barking profanity-laced insults at her.

"Who the f-- do you think you are?" Feliciano said to the officer, according to court records. "You're a f-----g nobody. You stupid b---."

Feliciano then charged at the officer, and when she tried to handcuff him, he pulled away, flailing so much that she cut her hand on her own handcuffs, police said.

She was finally able to arrest Feliciano, and he was charged with attempted assault. Feliciano pleaded guilty on Oct. 16 to resisting arrest and was sentenced to five days in jail. Information on his attorney was not immediately available.

► A man was arrested for beating up a man who had broken his camera, police said.

Police said Wilbert Geronimo, 27, and the 29-year-old victim got into an argument at Greenwich Street and Horatio Street at 12:46 a.m. on Oct. 20.

Geronimo then punched and kicked the victim over and over, leaving him with cuts and bruises, to retaliate because the victim had broken Geronimo's camera, police said.

The victim was taken to Lenox Hill HealthPlex.

Geronimo was charged with assault, attempted assault and harassment. His attorney did not immediately respond to a voicemail left for comment.