Nanney resigned Thursday, one day after admitting to 9Wants to Know he performed the traffic stop, but should not have done it.

Nanney had been suspended for more than a week while prosecutors consider filing charges related to the Aug. 18 incident in which Nanney is accused of using his official vehicle's flashing lights and his badge to stop and hold another driver.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office recommended Nanney be charged with impersonating a police officer, which is a felony. Investigators also recommended misdemeanor charges of official misconduct and false imprisonment.

Deputy Cocha Heyden says a driver told police he was pulled over by a vehicle with flashing red and blue lights while driving on Jackson Creek Road, not far from Nanney's house in Sedalia. The driver told police the "officer" had a badge.

Coroners carry badges and are considered peace officers while "doing their duty," but Nanney acted outside his authority, said Heyden.

Additional details about the traffic stop are not being released because the case has been referred to prosecutors.

Nanney spoke briefly with 9Wants To Know Investigative Reporter Kyle Clark at his front door on Wednesday.

"It's being investigated," Nanney said. "I'm surprised that you're involved."

Nanney acknowledged making the traffic stop and when asked to explain, said "There were other circumstances that were provoked by that."

Asked if this was the first time he had used a coroner's vehicle to make a traffic stop, Nanney declined to comment. He also refused to say why he stopped the other driver.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office would not discuss a motive for the traffic stop.

Nanney, who is 52 years old, had worked as a coroner's investigator for four years.

"He's no rookie," Douglas County Coroner Wes Riber said.

Riber declined to discuss the case, saying it would be disrespectful to the prosecutors' decision-making process.

He did mention, however, that the emergency lights on coroners' vehicles are only to be used to navigate through stopped traffic at the scene of a death, or to block traffic to help a stranded motorist.

"They are not to be used for traffic stops," Riber said.

No county in Colorado allows coroner's office employees to make traffic stops as part of their duties, said Chris Herndon, secretary of the Colorado Coroners Association.

"There is a pretty distinct line between law enforcement and coroners," Herndon said. "Traffic stops are not something [coroners] do."

9NEWS legal analyst Scott Robinson said Nanney has little leeway should he claim he was making a citizen's arrest.

"In Colorado, citizens have only a very limited right to arrest and that limited right evaporates if you pretend to be a police officer," Robinson said. "Any action that would make a reasonable person think that you were claiming to be a police officer is enough to make you guilty of impersonation of a police officer."

A decision on whether to charge Nanney will be made by District Attorney Carol Chambers, whose 18th Judicial District includes Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln Counties.

A representative of the 18th Judicial District did not respond to a request for comment.

Any driver who has had a run-in with Nanney can contact 9Wants To Know Investigative Reporter Kyle Clark at kyle.clark@9news.com or through Twitter at http://twitter.com/KyleClark.