CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A high school senior told police she and her sister left school Wednesday and a driver in a tan Ford F-150 pickup began following them, flashing red and blue lights.
“We’re pretty confident this happened exactly like they said. And we’re pretty confident it’s not an actual police officer,” said Gwinnett Police.
The man honked his horn and waved at the teenage girls to stop their car.
They made it to their neighborhood and pulled into the driveway. The truck pulled in behind, blocking them in.
The driver told police she kept the windows rolled up and said the impersonator approached her door making his hand into a "C-shape," saying he was a cop.
The girls called police. They said the impersonator started talking into his lapel, pretending to radio another officer. He then hopped into his truck and drove off.
They described him as a white man in his late-20s to early-30s, about 6-feet tall with a heavy build, shaggy hair and a tattoo on his left arm.
This case comes two months after two similar incidents in that area, where police impersonators pulled women over and sexually assaulted them. Those cases are still unsolved.
We’ve seen other reports closer home in Gastonia, Matthews and Union County.
Local police remind the public to ask for their ID if they suspect something is wrong.
“Most police officers in uniform especially have a name tag. You’ll see a badge. And if you still don’t know, ask them for their identification. Police officers are going to carry some type of official police credentials,” said Tony Underwood with the Union County Sheriff’s Department.
If you worry you’re getting stopped by a poser call 911, turn on your hazard and interior lights, and drive to a safe, well-lit location.