Athens man arrested for impersonating a police officer

HENDERSON COUNTY — An Athens man was arrested on Tuesday after he allegedly impersonated a Winnsboro police officer and was reported to have been following female high school students for a few days. According to our news partner KETK, an arrest affidavit reports Dallas Browning, 26 of Athens, approached Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse at the Henderson County Livestock Show on March 22, identified himself as a police officer and told Hillhouse he had seen a jail trustee “place some tobacco in his pants.” The affidavit said Hillhouse also saw Browning tell a detention officer that he was a police officer and worked the nightshift for the Winnsboro Police Department.

“Browning also asked [Hillhouse] if he could do a ride along with deputies, and if he applied with the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, would he be able to carry his personal firearm,” the affidavit said. Browning also reportedly told a Henderson County deputy that he had been shot in the line of duty during a traffic stop while working as a police officer. According to the affidavit, the next day Hillhouse was approached by a LaPoynor ISD teacher who said a man “had been following female high school students for the past couple of days.” When the teacher showed Hillhouse a picture of the man who had been following them, the affidavit said he recognized him as Browning. When later asked for his department credentials, Browning told officials “he did not have them on him,” and the affidavit said a search later discovered Browning did not have a peace officer license in the State of Texas.

Browning’s bond was set at $100,000.