German traffic police were shocked to see a California Highway Patrol car cruising along the motorway, driven by a man dressed as an authentic American cop, authorities said on Thursday.

But they recovered sufficiently to book the 35-year-old Goettingen resident, whose uniform badge read “T.J. Lazer”, for possessing a replica Smith & Wesson revolver without a licence and having out-of-date registration plates.

“He was sitting at the wheel with his elbow on the window like in the best TV crime series,” said Osthessen police spokesman Martin Schaefer.

“Because wearing such a uniform in public is also prohibited, he had to exchange it for civilian dress after a shopping trip with ‘real’ colleagues,” he added.

The man told police he had been taking the 30-year-old vehicle to Bavaria to sell it and wanted to impress the buyer.