A woman from Baldwin County, AL was left frightened and shocked after being followed by police impersonators. Around 2 am, she saw a vehicle tailing her as she drove down Wilcox Road. At first glance, the white Chevrolet Suburban (2000 model) seemed to be a police car. The vehicle had flashing red, blue and white lights, which would easily pass for the lights generally seen on trooper cars.
Fortunately, the keen observation skills of the woman in question saved the day for her as she noted that vehicles used by Baldwin County Police officers do not have red lights but this car did, which served as the first warning sign.
A quick second glance and she also observed that one of the headlights was out. This simply cemented her suspicion that she was being followed by police impersonators. She did the right thing by calling 911 and the dispatcher immediately sent a deputy to help her. She continued driving till the real police found her, which was the safest thing to do under the circumstances.
Unfortunately, the deputy could not nab the impersonators as he lost contact while they tried to follow and stop another driver going in the opposite direction.
What should you do in similar circumstances?
The incident prompted the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Department to release a statement in a bid to protect citizens from police impersonators. Although on the surface this may not seem like an exceptionally serious crime, just a few months ago a 29 year old man was found handcuffed and murdered in his vehicle. The homicide remains unsolved at this time.
Captain Arthur clarified that calling 911 was always the safest thing to do. He also clarified that unmarked vehicles and cars used by detectives are never used for making traffic stops. If a driver is stopped, the officer will show his credentials when asked to do so.