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Woman charged with armed robbery of mini-mart while impersonating a police officer

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department says that most police officer impersonators are men, and a case this month was the first time its police officers had come across a female police impersonator in a long time.

JJ Lhash, the owner of JJ’s Mini Mart on East 10th Street, captured the entire encounter on his in-store surveillance video. Lhash told I-Team 8 that he recognized the woman in the pink hoodie as a semiregular customer and was surprised when she unzipped her hoodie to expose a police badge.  

“I’m not somebody that has a problem with police. When somebody says, ‘I’m police,” I say, ‘OK.’ What I’m going to say?” Lhash said. 

Police say the woman in the pink hoodie was Tyjwania Spradley. The 38-year-old came into the mini-mart and asked to talk to the owner, and when the guy behind the counter hesitated she showed the badge.

Within a few minutes, Spradley was behind the counter and accused the store owner of selling questionable merchandise.  The owner of the store was suspicious and used his phone to record the conversation.

Spradley is heard on the recording: “Illegal illegal illegal, that’s not, keep yourself, if you are going to do it do it right, if you can’t do it right, you hear me, do it right OK?”   

Much of the language was salty and unsuitable for broadcast.

Spradley also is heard saying on the recording, “You want to go to jail. Do you want to go because I will lock your ass up right now, I promise I will.”   

As she is ordering the store owner around the back of the store, she spots a handgun and takes it. She then orders Lhash to load up a box with clothes along with a jar of money and just about anything else of value. 

She then told the store owner she would be back every two weeks to make sure he was operating properly and expected to be paid for not arresting him.

Lhash responded, “OK, you don’t want me done, pay me. I started to record her because I know that is not right.”

Spradley came back to the store the next day, which was last Thursday. This time, the owner didn’t let her behind the counter and called police. This time, she took off, but police arrested her a few blocks away.

Spradley was arrested Thursday and charged Monday with impersonating a police officer, armed robbery, theft, possession of a handgun by a serious violent felon, and intimidation. No court date has been set for her in Marion Superior Court 20, according to online court records.