Lakewood man poses as officer, holds victim at gunpoint, documents say

The owner of a Lakewood security company is behind bars for allegedly pointing a gun at a man’s head while posing as a police officer.

Michael James Landen Jr., 38, was arrested Feb. 20 and charged with trying to pull another driver over — on busy Interstate 5 — with lights flashing.

According to court documents, a King County Sheriff’s Office detective witnessed the incident and followed Landen’s car off the Seneca Street exit in Seattle.

Sheriff John Urquhart said Landen told the driver of a white sedan that “he was a cop, pulled a gun on him. He thought he was going to get shot.”

Landen is now behind bars charged with assault and criminal impersonation.

The dark Ford Crown Victoria that Landen allegedly was driving that night is parked outside his Lakewood home.

When it was searched for evidence, detectives found many of the items pictured on Landen’s security company Facebook page: a loaded semi-automatic handgun with extra ammunition, handcuffs, body armor, a Taser and more.

Landen’s security company is called P.O.I.I.C.E. Upon first glance, the badge he wears appears to say “police”; however the letters stand for Professional Officers Involved in Community Enhancement.

Urquhart believes Landen is a danger to the community, not only because of the charges filed against him but because Landen once worked in an Air Force security squadron until he was “involuntarily committed.”

According to court documents, Landen’s commanding officer told investigators he’s “no longer able to be armed while serving in his capacity” in the Air Force.

“I think he’s dangerous from the gun and the mindset and just the fact that he’s terrorizing people, pretending to be a police officer,” Urquhart told KIRO on Tuesday.

Landen’s commanding officer also told investigators the Air Force had “ongoing concerns of Landen impersonating police officers,” which is why Urquhart believes Landen could have targeted many other drivers in the area.

When Landen was arrested, he allegedly told investigators he was trying to pull the other driver over because “he was driving in a reckless manner.”

Landen was told that wasn’t his job.

This story was originally published March 7, 2017 at 6:23 PM with the headline "Lakewood man poses as officer, holds victim at gunpoint, documents say."