Authorities: Fake firefighter arrested on way to sell drugs

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- He was allegedly speeding down a two-lane road at 80 miles per hour with a siren blaring. When he was pulled over, he told law enforcement that he was a firefighter but later admitted he was actually in a hurry to go do a drug deal.

It happened Tuesday night on Fostoria Road east of Interstate 69. Montgomery County Precinct 4 Constable Kenneth "Rowdy" Hayden says he was headed home and witnessed a truck driving erratically on the two lane highway, passing vehicles while blaring a siren. He caught up to the driver and was able to pull him over at a gas station.

"I asked him why he was in such a hurry.. he was going 80 in a 45," said Hayden.

Christopher Cassidy, of Cleveland, showed Hayden his driver's license and an ID for the Bear Creek Volunteer Fire Department. Hayden said Cassidy, 47, looked nervous. The constable asked what should have been a simple question: who Cassidy's fire chief was.

"He wasn't able to tell me the fire chief's name and it just threw all kinds of red flags to me," said Hayden.

Inside the truck deputies discovered bottles of Xanax, Tramadol, Clonazepam, Diazepam and Lorazepam. Hayden says Cassidy admitted he was on his way to conduct a drug transaction.

The question now, the constable says, is whether Cassidy has posed as a firefighter before. Citizens posted on the constable's Facebok page that Cassidy allegedly did so but was never arrested. Investigators want to know if anyone else has seen him passing himself off as a firefighter.

Officials with the Bear Creek Volunteer Fire Department did not return our calls so we don't know why Cassidy stopped working there about four years ago.

He's accused of several felony drug charges in addition to impersonating a public official. He posted $26,000 bond and is out of jail awaiting trial.

Cassidy did not respond to our calls for comment either.