The Jamestown man charged with impersonating an officer an invoking COVID-19 to get out of work has waived his right to a preliminary hearing.

Christopher M. Hawkins, 46, 120 Fulton St., was charged by City of Warren police earlier this month.

He faces two misdemeanor counts — impersonating a public servant and disorderly conduct.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, police were contacted by the HR manager at Targeted Pet Treats on May 16 with a report that the day before “a person identifying themselves as a Chautauqua County Sheriff’s detective contacted her with disturbing news.”

The manager explained that someone called and identified themselves as “Detective Tommy Hatcher.”

The affidavit explains that the supposed detective reported to a receptionist that Hawkins’ wife “had just tested positive for COVID-19 and he needed to leave work to get tested and self-quarantine.”

The HR manager returned the call and the person who answered the phone identified themselves as Detective Hatcher.

“Targeted Pet Treats began the process of stopping production in the area the defendant was working, cleaning and rearranging the work space,” police allege in the affidavit. “The cleaning and rearranging of equipment went into the evening with that production being shut down.”

The company then reached out to the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office “and learned that there was no detective, deputy or employee with the name Tommy Hatcher” and identified Hawkins’ cell phone number as the same number “found on the caller ID on the day and time the incident occurred.”

Police allege, though, “through the investigation that the defendant’s phone was used to make the phone calls to Targeted Pet Treats. It was also found from witnesses that the defendant was attempting to leave work that day.”

His next court date, according to online court records, is formal arraignment set for Aug. 20.