Authorities are looking for someone who reportedly impersonated a police officer and pulled over a woman Thursday morning on Old Highway 99 south of Alger.
A man driving a sedan with red-and-blue lights on his dash and a spotlight mounted on the driver’s side of his car, pulled over a woman, yelled at her and said, “I bet you voted for Obama, didn’t you?” according to the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office.
The woman was driving near Parson Creek Road about 9:40 a.m. Thursday morning when she was stopped by a man in a tan early 1990s sedan, a Sheriff’s Office news release states.
The male driver — who was described as 250 pounds, in his late 30s or early 40s, with brown eyes and pockmarks on the right side of his face — identified himself as a Skagit County deputy. He wore a state-trooper-style dark brown hat, a light brown, long-sleeved, button-down shirt with no patches or name tag, light brown slacks, black boots, a black gun belt with handcuffs, a small spray bottle and a “6-shot” revolver with fake wood grips.
The news release describes the following:
The man asked for the woman’s license, registration and proof of insurance. He refused to tell the woman why he stopped her. Then he said there was a hit-and-run in that area the previous night involving a green Kia Sephia.
He told her to get out of her car and made her stand in the rain for about 20 minutes. He said something about her having a weapon and a drug habit. He became very angry, yelled at the woman and said, “I bet you voted for Obama, didn’t you?”
He eventually gave the woman her papers back and told her, “you can go now.”
He sped away before she could get his license number.
Chief Criminal Deputy Will Reichardt said the news release about the incident was sent to both warn the public and seek any information about possible similar incidents in the area.
“Any legitimate law enforcement officer will willingly provide their name, agency and badge number,” the release said.
If a person is concerned about the legitimacy of the officer trying to pull them over, they should continue to drive the speed limit, obey all traffic laws, drive to the nearest public place where they feel comfortable stopping or to the nearest law enforcement office.
To report similar incidents or information on the identity of the man, please contact the investigations unit of Skagit County Sheriff’s Office at 360-336-9450.
