ATTENTION : Police Impersonator Stopping Drivers In Calcasieu Parish
Calcasieu Parish drivers beware, KPLC-TV reports authorities are currently looking for a suspect impersonating an officer. Lake area residents reported a man pulling people over, and he is not a real police officer. Be on the lookout for a man driving a large, unmarked, black track, with emergency lights in the grill. If he attempts to pull you over, DO NOT STOP. Continue to drive safely, do not try and outrun the vehicle, and call 911 immediately. If the officer is legit, dispatchers will be able to confirm that within minutes. From there, you will be given instructions on what to do.
In the meantime Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso, says there are some important percussions drivers can take to stay safe.....
As Sheriff Mancuso stated, most of the time drivers are going to be stopped by "marked" police or sheriff department vehicles. So if someone gets behind you flashing emergency lights, and you are not sure if they're legit, call 911 immediately for confirmation. It's very important to remain calm, and continue driving at a safe speed until you are informed on what to do by dispatch.
Remember you are well within your right to continue driving, even if you are being prompted to pull over by a legitimate law enforcement unit. Just follow the same protocol. Call 911, let them know you have an officer behind you and you're going to continue driving until you get to a safe place to pull over. If you are afraid, want to get to a populated or well-lit area, it's okay. You don't have to worry about being arrested for evading police. The 911 dispatch will notify the officer of your intentions.
As for the impersonator, when the suspect is caught we will update this story. Until then, drive safe everybody.