Authorities Investigating Report Of Man Impersonating Police Officer In Bucks County
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FAIRLESS HILLS, Pa. (CBS) -- Authorities are investigating a reported police impersonator incident in Fairless Hills. On Friday, a 45-year-old woman was pulled over by the alleged impersonator on Lincoln Highway and was directed to pull into the parking lot of the Honey Baked Ham at 636 Lincoln Highway.
The actor took the woman's identification as if he was conducting a normal traffic stop. He then told the woman to exit her vehicle, which she refused to do as she began to suspect that the man was not a real officer, according to police.
"Asked for her license and registration, returned to his car then asked her to get out of the vehicle," said Lt. Nelson Whitney, of the Falls Township Police Department.
The woman told police the man who pulled her over smelled like cigarettes and alcohol. He also had bad body odor.
He gave the woman her ID back and she drove off.
After the incident, the woman contacted the Falls Township Police Department, who confirmed that the man was not an officer.
"You can always call 911 and talk to the same dispatchers we talk to and they'll know whether or not it's us," said Lt. Whitney.
Hearing about the incident for the first time, Beverly Dringus hopes if she's ever in that situation, she wouldn't freeze.
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"I hope I wouldn't panic," said Dringus. "My husband's always telling me things to do and I hope his voice would be screaming at me at that moment."
Tom Hayes from Northeast Philadelphia imagined his mother confronting something similar.
"You gotta be cautious out here, there's people who are predators and don't have anything nice to do throughout the day, except to do something like that," said Hayes.
Police describe the impostor as white male in his late 30s to early 40s, with a "dirty appearance" and odor of smoke and alcohol on his person. He has scruffy hair and spoke with a Philadelphia or New York accent.
He was not wearing a police uniform and displayed a possibly plastic or security badge.
The woman says he was driving an older model Ford Crown Victoria sedan -- black or dark blue in color -- with one red and one blue light placed on the vehicle's dashboard. The vehicle may have not had a front license plate.
The Falls Township Police Department says they do not use unmarked patrol vehicles for traffic enforcement.
Anyone with information about the incident or has experienced a similar incident is asked to contact Falls police at 215-945-3100.
