EASLEY — The Pickens County Sheriff’s Office responded to a disturbance call on Feb. 13 at a residence on Pope Field Road in Easley following reports of a suspicious male attempting to take a vehicle by force.

Deputies located a man matching the description given by callers walking on Pope Field Road just a short distance from the location of the disturbance.

Deputies initiated a field interview with the man at which time he was identified as Alan Jacob Gunter.

Gunter produced a Greenville County Sheriff’s Office deputy’s badge and identified himself as an employee of the Sheriff’s Office.

A deputy at the scene of the original call made contact with a victim that advised that the same man had attempted to take his vehicle from him by physical force after reaching into the window and grabbing the driver by the arm.

Gunter proceeded to yell for the owner to surrender the car but the driver was able to break free and call for help. No injuries were sustained during the encounter.

Gunter was arrested and charged with attempted carjacking and impersonating a police officer after it was confirmed that Gunter is not an employee of the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office.

Bond was set at $45,000 on the carjacking charge and $5,000 on the second charge.

The Greenville County badge was seized and turned over to Greenville County authorities who are conducting their own investigation in an effort to determine how Gunter gained possession of the badge.

Gunter
https://www.theeasleyprogress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/web1_Alan-Jacob-Gunter.jpgGunter

Staff Report