Multiple residents of a neighborhood near the intersection of North Colton Street and East Magnesium Road reported a suspicious person carrying a rifle and telling them he was a police officer at about 7:30 p.m.

SPOKANE, Wash. An 18-year-old sitting in the Spokane County Jail claimed he did not know it was illegal to impersonate an officer. His claim came Thursday after he was arrested and accused of doing just that.

Anthony P. Brower told KREM 2 News that he did not know impersonating an officer was illegal and in fact did not mean to do that at all.

Authorities arrested Brower Wednesday evening. Police stated that he allegedly burglarized a home and threatened neighbors, posing as a police officer in North Spokane.

However, Brower said he told people he was an officer because he did not want his gun to freak them out.

Multiple people reported a suspicious person carrying a rifle and telling them he was a police officer at about 7:30 p.m. according to the Spokane Police Department. Officers located the man near the intersection of North Colton Street and East Magnesium.

After further investigation, officers determined he had threatened a woman and burglarized a nearby apartment with a replica rifle according to police.

'He got really mad saying he was going to kill everyone in the apartment complex,' said Naomi Castana.

She said Brower took her daughter's Wii, a laptop, and her identification. On Thursday, the victims said they had not received their items back because they are being held as evidence.