Suspect Impersonates Deputy; Pulls Over Teen Female

January 21, 2009

The Escambia County Sheriff’s Department is searching for a man who was impersonating a law enforcement officer last night near Beulah.

Deputies are seeking a man who pulled over a 16-year old female about 5:30 last night in the area of West Nine Mile Road and Beulah Road. The female told deputies that when she saw flashing lights behind her vehicle, she pulled over to the side of the road.

The victim described the suspect as a white male about 6-foot 2-inches tall with dark, bushy hair, stocky build and a mole under his left eye. She described him as being in his late twenties to early thirties. The suspect approached the victim’s vehicle, and he asked her to stop out of the vehicle.

Because the suspect did not appear to be a law enforcement officer and refused to identify himself,  the teen refused to exit her vehicle.

“The victim asked why she was being pulled over at which time she stated the suspect was almost laughing while speaking with her,” according to a press release from Escambia Sheriff’s Department Spokesman Sgt. Ted Roy. “After a few more questions the suspect walked to the rear of her vehicle as if to look at the tag, walked back to her vehicle and stated, ‘You’re free to go. Somebody must have been playing a prank on you’.”

The suspect was seen leaving in what was described as a possible late model Toyota Camry, white in color with blue/purple dash lights and the word “Sheriff” in small green letters on the driver’s door.

The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with any information on this suspect to call the Sheriff’s Office at 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at 433-STOP.

Impersonating a police officer is a felony and punishable by up to five years in prison, and using blue lights is a misdemeanor of the first degree, according to Roy.

Comments

5 Responses to “Suspect Impersonates Deputy; Pulls Over Teen Female”

  1. Walnut Hill Resident on January 26th, 2009 10:06 pm

    Very good advice J. Davis. Very poor taste in jokes there Chuck. Remember Chuck kids under 18 read a lot of stories on here as well as our “responsible adult” responses to the stories. They have a way of taking what an adult says and putting it to the test a lot of times. The cowboy days are gone and I miss them if I must say so myself. I care a weapon 99% of the time with me. I am a lot older and wiser than I use to be. Hopefully there will come a day we don’t need to carry pistols anymore to protect ourselves and our family on the roads, at work, and at home. That would be the good times. REMEMBER KIDS CHUCK WAS JOKING. DON’T CARRY A GUN IT MIGHT GET YOU KILLED TOO.

  2. Chuck on January 22nd, 2009 6:20 pm

    Alan……I was “yucking it up ” on what is otherwise a very serious situation. I hope no-one took me seriously . Although my teens are very proficient with firearms , I would not allow them to take them outside the home without myself being present.

  3. Alan on January 22nd, 2009 2:41 pm

    Chuck – I don’t think what you are proposing is even legal…I am pretty sure you need to be 18 to have a pistol. If there’s not a law against it, there sure needs to be!!

  4. Chuck on January 21st, 2009 5:51 pm

    Very good advice J, the only thing I could add would be to give your teenager some “heat” to pack in the console for cop wannabe kidnappers. Be sure that they are competent with the use of it and you can watch your ballgame without worrying about the welfare of your little bundle of joy. Mine can’t even drive yet and they can nail a bullseye with my “forty” better than me. I’m a proud NRA daddy! Oh, did I mention that they are girls.

  5. J.davis on January 21st, 2009 5:08 pm

    let this be a lesson to all, protect yourself. If you are followed by a unmarked police car or a car that has flashing lights that is not marked for law enforcement and they are trying to get you to pull over call 911 on your cell phone and explain the situation to dispatch. at that point dispatch will confirm or deny if the person is really law enforcement. Also if you are being pulled over and the area is dark or you are not comfortable stoping there call 911 and let dispatch know and they will relay to the officer attempting to make the stop that you are not fleeing or evading law enforcement but really looking for a safe place to pull over. also keep your car doors locked and never roll the window down all the way. If you have power windows and the officer tells you to turn off the engin only leave enough room to pass and recieve ID’s and documents through the window. anyone needing more information about personal safety and traffic stops should contact the Escambia County Sheriffs office. The good folks there will be more than happy to assist you. Be safe, Be informed.