A fake cop in a gray Durango unsuccessfully attempted to pull over a driver in San Diego, who then reported the incident to 911.
SAN DIEGO — Reports of a fake cop are circulating online. The impersonator had lights and sirens, but the person they were trying to pull over was suspicious and did the right thing.
CBS 8 is Working for You, letting you know what to look for, during a legitimate traffic stop. We spoke to California Highway Patrol and San Diego Police Department.
The post reads, “Hey neighbors, just a heads up about a dangerous situation, I experienced.”
The driver goes on to say they were merging onto the 15 North at Mission Gorge and Friars Road when a gray Dodge Durango aggressively tried to run them off the road, then started flashing red and blue lights – attempting to pull them over.
“We expect and want the community to trust us,” Sergeant Andre Thomas said, from SDPD.
CHP Officer Jared Grieshaber added, “the number one goal is everyone’s safety.”
The driver noticed heavily tinted windows and an unusual light set up, so called 911 and was told it was not a real officer. In California, both CHP and PD are required to have these two specific things – a solid red light and a siren.
“We do have the solid bar, on top of the vehicles too, that flashes red and blue, but you have to at least have one solid red, facing the front and a siren,” Sgt. Thomas said.
The majority of the time, they’ll be in their standard black and white vehicles, but the same rules apply for unmarked cars.
“We have anywhere from detectives to patrol officers in unmarked cars to from our lieutenants and chief,” Sgt. Thomas added.
If you’re still suspicious, call 911 to confirm, throw on your hazards to acknowledge them, so you don’t face further prosecution and then get to a well lit spot – making sure their badge and patches all match.
“You do not have to open your window to see badge or ID, you should see uniform, some type of duty belt, those kinds of things,” Officer Grieshaber said. “Hands free law does allow you to use your cell phone in an emergency.”
San Diego Police usually have California exempt license plates, however the Sheriff’s Department does not. We attempted to pull the plates in question from the DMV, but they came back to an Acura, not a Dodge, so were likely stolen.
Also know that CHP can pull you over on a side street and Police can pull you over on the freeway.
At CBS 8, we are always Working for You and our community. This is a station promise that we will go the extra mile to solve a problem our audience can’t solve themselves. We want to hear your ideas on how we can cover and help our community. If you have a story idea, please email us at workingforyou@cbs8.com.