Woof, woof. - OK, you! Paws up!

I had a good laugh this morning before I even got to the comics in the Northwest Herald.

Harvard bad boy Michael T. Spencer, 19, was charged Tuesday for his alleged actions last May, when he apparently impersonated a McHenry County Sheriff's Department deputy when he stopped by a parked car outside of Harvard with a young couple in it. You can read the whole story at www.nwherald.com

The article didn't say what the 16-year-old boy and the 15-year-old girl were doing, but what does a young couple do in a parked car out in the country?

Why did I laugh? Spencer was convicted last month of barking twice at a Harvard police dog that was inside a squad car. That's what the article says. Really!

What "crime" did he commit? Did he alarm the dog? Disturb the dog? Threaten the dog's peace?

Last time I walked by K-9 unit, the dog went crazy. Maybe I should have called Animal Control.

Well, there is probably more to the story.

MCSD Lt. Andy Zinke offered some good advice at the end of the article. "Drivers who are signaled by an unmarked car should drive safely to a well-lit area, preferable in a crowded area." And "People who question the identity of a purposed police officer also can use a cell phone to call the local police department to confirm his or her employment."

Man, I hope all the cops on the road know that...