New Details Emerge On Horsham Man Charged With Impersonating Police Officer

HATBORO / HORSHAM TOWNSHIP, PA — The former Horsham Fire Company member who is charged with impersonating a police officer and pulling a driver over after a road rage incident in Hatboro said that a cooler that fell from his truck accidentally triggered his emergency lights, court records state.

In a criminal complaint given to Patch, Hatboro Borough Police Detective Sergeant Conner Dilks details the June 21 road rage incident involving former Horsham Fire Company member William McNichol.

On Saturday, June 21, Hatboro Police Officer Tristan Kimball was working the night shift when he was contacted by Jeff Tarman, an EMT with Second Alarmer's Rescue Squad.

Tarman informed Kimball that he had just spotted what he had believed to be a Horsham Fire Police Officer conducting a traffic stop on a vehicle at the intersection of South York Road and Byberry Road in Hatboro.

During the suspected traffic stop, Tarman witnessed a man holding a portable radio, outside of his vehicle, which had illuminated emergency lights, yelling at the operator of the vehicle he had pulled over, the complaint states.

Contact With Horsham Fire Company

On Thursday, June 26, Hatboro Police Officer Timothy Grady spoke with Lee Greenberg, fire chief of the Horsham Fire Department. Greenberg said he received a phone call from George Davis, another fire department member.

The criminal complaint states that Davis asked Greenberg if the fire department received a call that McNichol was using his personal vehicle on York Road in Hatboro with his emergency lights activated. Greenberg contacted McNichol, who said a cooler had fallen within his vehicle and accidentally activated his emergency lights.

McNichol Interview With Police

Police Officer Timothy Grady interviewed McNichol at the Hatboro Police Station. During the conversation, McNichol stated that he was dangerously cut off by another vehicle while traveling on Easton Road.

He said he turned his vehicle around to follow the other vehicle so he could tell the operator how dangerous her driving was. While following the vehicle, McNichol said a cooler fell within his vehicle and accidentally activated his emergency lighting, the criminal complaint states.

Once he caught up to the vehicle, which had pulled over, McNichol said he spoke to the driver briefly, and then realized that his emergency lights were activated.

Video Surveillance Shows Road Rage Incident

Police reviewed video from a Hatboro Borough-owned camera that is positioned to cover the intersection of South York Road and Horsham Road. The video surveillance shows a dark-colored Dodge Charger, consistent with one owned and operated by McNichol heading east on Horsham Road and approaching the intersection with South York Road, the complaint states.

A video by All Systems shows the Dodge Charger with red emergency lights illuminated, pulled behind a white SUV. The emergency lights appear to be flashing as they are on in certain still images and off in others. The operator of the Dodge Charger is outside of his vehicle and standing next to the driver's side window of the white SUV, engaging with its operator.

A review of the Greek Korner video shows the white SUV turning onto Byberry Road from York Road with the Dodge Charger immediately following with red flashing emergency lights illuminated.

Victim's Account

The victim gave an account of the events that began in Horsham Township on Easton Road, where McNichol allegedly began to follow her after he believed that she had cut him off. He continued to follow her, where he exited his vehicle to yell at her at Blair Mill Road and Horsham Road and again at York Road and Horsham Road, the complaint states.

While driving north on York Road, the victim noticed that McNichol had activated his emergency lights and pulled over, as she thought she was being lawfully pulled over by a police officer. That is when McNichol stopped behind her, approached her vehicle while holding a portable radio, and continued to yell at her for her driving behavior.

Horsham Fire Call Records Reviewed

The Montgomery County Department of Public Safety was contacted and provided information on all Horsham Fire Department calls that occurred on June 21, none of which showed McNichol as present or responding. Also, McNichol's portable radio had made a "phantom transmission," where no words were spoken on July 21, records showed.