Identifying A Real Police Officer

By Amy E. Feldman

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - What do you do if you're not sure whether you're being pulled over by the actual police or an imposter?

Police in Braintree, Massachusetts arrested a man who had painted his Maserati black and white with a police-style shield on the doors for impersonating a police officer even though he never attempted to pull anyone over. It's the dream of every 8-year-old boy. It's a Maserati AND a police car. Vroom vroom. Not that most people who impersonate the police are so sophisticated, but they do sometimes look the part. So how do you know if the car pulling you over is an actual officer and what do you do?

In many states, like New York, the law says that only marked cars can pull people over, but even if that's not the law in your states, genuine police cars don't use just a single siren but have a sophisticated light system that causes several sirens as well as the headlights to flash in tandem.

If you can't tell, police advise you to get to the shoulder - in a well lit area if possible, with your hazards blinking - and then dial 911 before opening the door to check with a dispatcher.

But if it's a Maserati that pulls you over, you might want to see what the gentleman wants.