The brother of former Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) was arrested Thursday in Connecticut for allegedly impersonating a police officer and stopping boaters on Long Island Sound.
Police found Bruce W. Browne driving a blue Crown Victoria mounted with “hide-away” lights while responding to reports of a man with a gun, according to Boston’s WBZ. Police told the news station that Browne was in possession of a bullet-proof vest marked “POLICE,” a TSA badge, and three loaded 9mm handguns with 12 fully-loaded magazines.
Investigators told WBZ that Browne had comandeered a boat while identifying himself as a “Police/Coast Guard” official earlier in the day, allegedly presenting expired Coast Guard identification. Browne had stopped three boats on Long Island Sound and asked their for registration and safety certificates, police told the Associated Press.
Wolcott police Chief Edward Stephens told the AP that Browne is indeed the brother of the former senator. It’s unclear why the men spell their last names differently.
Late update: Scott Brown responded to news of Browne’s arrest on his Facebook page, clarifying that Browne is his estranged half-brother. Brown wrote “these are serious charges and he will need to answer them. I feel badly for his children and I am thankful that no one was injured.”
