Credit: Hatboro Police Department.
Due to his alleged actions following a road rage incident, a firefighter from the Horsham Fire Company lost his job and will now stand trial.
William McNichol will go to trial on August 21 where he will face charges of Impersonating a Public Servant and Harassment.
Horsham Fire Chief Lee Greenberg said that McNichol will no longer work for the company, according to a report.
"None of the training or instruction Mr. McNichol received during his membership with the Fire Company would have led him to believe that his actions were appropriate, acceptable, or lawful," said Greenberg.
"We want to make it absolutely clear that Mr. Nichol acted entirely on his own and without any direction, guidance, or influence from the Fire Company," Greenberg said. "Upon learning that Mr. Nichol was to be criminally charged in this car, the Fire Company acted swiftly and decisively to terminate his membership."
On Saturday, June 21, 2025, the Hatboro Police Department launched an investigation following reports of an individual impersonating a police officer during a traffic stop following a road rage incident.
Authorities were alerted after a concerned citizen came forward, reporting a suspicious interaction that occurred earlier in the day at the intersection of South York Road and Byberry Road.
McNichol is accused of pursuing the victim in his vehicle and exiting it on two separate occasions to shout at her.
According to authorities, at one point during the incident, McNichol turned on emergency lights while tailing the victim along York Road into Hatboro. The victim believed she was being pulled over by a legitimate law enforcement officer.
Once stopped, and holding a handheld radio, McNichol allegedly continued to berate the woman for her driving, according to Hatboro police.
During a police interview, McNichol reportedly claimed that the emergency lights were triggered accidentally when a cooler tipped over inside his vehicle. He said he had been "dangerously cut off" and was attempting to confront the other driver to explain how hazardous her driving was, court records state.
Through the investigation, authorities learned that McNichol, who is not a police officer, was a member of Horsham Fire Company No.1. His personal vehicle, a Dodge Charger, was equipped with emergency lighting which he used to signal to the victim to pull over.
"Upon learning this information, the Chief of Horsham Fire Company No. 1 was immediately contacted and fully cooperated with our investigation," the Hatboro Police Department wrote. "I would like to thank Chief Lee Greenberg for the professional manner he handled this situation and swift action that was taken upon being made aware of what is alleged to have occurred."
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 21, 2025, at 9:45 a.m. at Magisterial District Court 38-1-22.
