HARTFORD, Conn. -- An armed man from Windsor stopped by police tried to impersonate a state trooper, police said.

Hartford police officers arrested Luis Torres, 37, after midnight on Friday after they stopped him for following too closely to their vehicle.

When the legitimate officers stopped Torres, he got out of his vehicle and flashed a gold badge at the officers, identifying himself as a police officer, police said. Torres was also wearing a windbreaker that has the Connecticut State Police emblem.

The Hartford officers were able to determine that Torres was not a state trooper and they discovered he was armed with a loaded Smith and Wesson .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol.

Police charged Torres with impersonating a police officer, possession of a firearm, carrying a weapon in a vehicle and failure to drive a reasonable distance.

Bond for Torres was set at $250,000 pending arraignment in Hartford Superior Court.