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Man accused of impersonating K-9 officer in metro Detroit

Posted at 7:02 PM, Mar 28, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-29 12:09:36-04

Police across multiple departments are warning the public about a man who appears to be posing as a K-9 officer, but that man says he is working to clear everything up.

Black Purvis, 23, says his mission is to feed the homeless, often doing it live on Facebook. He outfits his car with the nickname "K-9 Unit" and has "K9 Blake" on the license plate.  

Then, the Dearborn Heights Police Department and others posted on their Facebook page about Purvis posing as an officer.

Purvis said he is working to clear up everything and talked with Michigan State Police for hours.

He said the motivation behind putting K-9 on his car is that he works in a tough area in Detroit. 

"When if people want to hop that fence, they see my vehicle first, they are going to freak out, 'Oh my gosh, he's got a dog, he's a cop,'" he said.

He did take off the sticker on the back of his car that said "K-9 Unit" and is now using magnets and said his flasher lights only go on once he is parked and feeding the homeless.

MSP said they are looking into the allegations.