Sgt. Eros is a male entertainer of a vulgar kind. He has, consequently, opponents. His opponents reject him and, in plain language, hate him.
They found him walking in the street dressed in a uniform. It was like their uniform. His number was 0069. He had a truncheon. He entertained professionally. He got paid for it. The truncheon was a prop. A truncheon is a weapon, just like their truncheons.
While not being Sgt. Eros, he is a 25 year old genetics student. Dash it, are there no standards for geneticists? Is he not guilty of conduct tending to bring the profession into disrepute?
They charged him with possession of a truncheon without reasonable cause.
Significantly, they did not charge him with impersonating a police officer; that would involve asserting their likeness to a strip artist. Besides, he was presumably not a very convincing officer, for the benefit of his act.
Amazingly, the sheriff dismissed the charge; the State has appealed and judgment is now reserved.
Of course, a lesser offence can generate trouble. As it did for a man on a train in Italy. He has been convicted of sexual harassment. A woman passenger complained that he was looking at her.
Now that he is actually convicted there is no need to ascertain his profession to have him charged with some black-letter-law charge, like… conduct tending to bring his profession into disrepute.
One must admire the detecting diligence of the female police officers involved. Watching his act to verify his claim to be a stripper. That’s dedication.