More Fake Cop Cars...
A Sherman woman who was stopped, handcuffed and had her car searched by a man impersonating a police officer did not identify the men arrested in connection with two similar cases in Dallas County and Fairfax County in Virginia.
Anna police Lt. Howard Day said Friday that the woman, whose identity has not been released, failed to identify the men in a photo lineup in the two similar but now separate cases.
The woman told police that on July 14, a man in a makeshift police car and uniform pulled her over for a broken taillight on U.S. 75 near the Mantua Road exit, placed her in handcuffs and conducted a search of her purse and her car. She also said he spoke her driver’s license number into a portable radio, but no one talked back, Day said.
The officer took her out of the handcuffs, ordered her to get her taillights fixed and drove away. The woman told police she then realized her taillights were not broken. Nothing of value was reported as stolen and the officer did not harm the woman during the traffic stop, Day said.
The woman described the officer’s vehicle as a white car with police markings on the side and domed, clear red and blue reflecting lights. She also said the officer wore a navy blue or black uniform with a star badge over his left shirt pocket and no other identifying markers or badges, Day said.
Dallas County sheriff’s deputies arrested another man in a similar car and clothing on July 18. Police pulled the vehicle over around 4:30 p.m. on U.S. 20 for traveling at a high rate of speed. He first thought the vehicle was another police officer, but noticed the vehicle had unfamiliar looking insignia and he initiated a traffic stop, according to a statement released by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office. The vehicle looked as though it was outfitted like any normal police cruiser, but upon closer inspection he noticed the vehicle’s radio was a scanner and the dash-camera was fake. The deputy also later found a separate fake camera on the ceiling and a black BB pistol with orange paint scraped off of the barrel, according to the statement.
The driver, 40-year-old Malcolm Hawkinson, did not present the deputy with the appropriate insurance card and the registration did not match the owner’s information. He was also found to be a registered sex offender and was booked into the county jail on some misdemeanor class C violations and was later released. The owner of the vehicle, whose name was not released, said he operates a repossession company and the modifications to the vehicle were made to ensure the safety of his employees, according to the statement.
The following day, Anna police investigators began looking into a second case in Fairfax County, Va., in which a 17-year-old woman from South Riding, Va., was assaulted by a man claiming to be a police officer, Day said.
The impersonator pulled the unidentified woman over around 11:50 p.m. July 19 in a shopping center parking lot in Chantilly, Va., approached the vehicle and asked her to step out of the car. When she complied, the impersonator pushed her against her vehicle and touched her in an inappropriate manner. She screamed and began honking the car’s horn and the suspect fled the scene. Police later arrested 36-year-old Frank Antia, who was spotted driving a vehicle with police lights and a partially covered Texas license plate, according to a statement released by the Fairfax County Police Department’s public information office.
Day said investigators the Sherman woman did not identify the men in either case as the man who pulled her over July 14.
“We have not identified the driver of that vehicle yet,” Day said.
Day said if someone is being pulled over and is unsure if the officer pulling them over is a real officer, they can call 9-1-1 and speak to a dispatcher to confirm their identity.
“We don’t anticipate any backlash,” Day said. “Our officers are always in full uniform, so hopefully this is a one time thing and this goes away.”
Anna police Lt. Howard Day said Friday that the woman, whose identity has not been released, failed to identify the men in a photo lineup in the two similar but now separate cases.
The woman told police that on July 14, a man in a makeshift police car and uniform pulled her over for a broken taillight on U.S. 75 near the Mantua Road exit, placed her in handcuffs and conducted a search of her purse and her car. She also said he spoke her driver’s license number into a portable radio, but no one talked back, Day said.
The officer took her out of the handcuffs, ordered her to get her taillights fixed and drove away. The woman told police she then realized her taillights were not broken. Nothing of value was reported as stolen and the officer did not harm the woman during the traffic stop, Day said.
The woman described the officer’s vehicle as a white car with police markings on the side and domed, clear red and blue reflecting lights. She also said the officer wore a navy blue or black uniform with a star badge over his left shirt pocket and no other identifying markers or badges, Day said.
Dallas County sheriff’s deputies arrested another man in a similar car and clothing on July 18. Police pulled the vehicle over around 4:30 p.m. on U.S. 20 for traveling at a high rate of speed. He first thought the vehicle was another police officer, but noticed the vehicle had unfamiliar looking insignia and he initiated a traffic stop, according to a statement released by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office. The vehicle looked as though it was outfitted like any normal police cruiser, but upon closer inspection he noticed the vehicle’s radio was a scanner and the dash-camera was fake. The deputy also later found a separate fake camera on the ceiling and a black BB pistol with orange paint scraped off of the barrel, according to the statement.
The driver, 40-year-old Malcolm Hawkinson, did not present the deputy with the appropriate insurance card and the registration did not match the owner’s information. He was also found to be a registered sex offender and was booked into the county jail on some misdemeanor class C violations and was later released. The owner of the vehicle, whose name was not released, said he operates a repossession company and the modifications to the vehicle were made to ensure the safety of his employees, according to the statement.
The following day, Anna police investigators began looking into a second case in Fairfax County, Va., in which a 17-year-old woman from South Riding, Va., was assaulted by a man claiming to be a police officer, Day said.
The impersonator pulled the unidentified woman over around 11:50 p.m. July 19 in a shopping center parking lot in Chantilly, Va., approached the vehicle and asked her to step out of the car. When she complied, the impersonator pushed her against her vehicle and touched her in an inappropriate manner. She screamed and began honking the car’s horn and the suspect fled the scene. Police later arrested 36-year-old Frank Antia, who was spotted driving a vehicle with police lights and a partially covered Texas license plate, according to a statement released by the Fairfax County Police Department’s public information office.
Day said investigators the Sherman woman did not identify the men in either case as the man who pulled her over July 14.
“We have not identified the driver of that vehicle yet,” Day said.
Day said if someone is being pulled over and is unsure if the officer pulling them over is a real officer, they can call 9-1-1 and speak to a dispatcher to confirm their identity.
“We don’t anticipate any backlash,” Day said. “Our officers are always in full uniform, so hopefully this is a one time thing and this goes away.”
posted by Dave at 9:28 AM
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