Topic: Cop Scam
started by: jimhanson
Posted by jimhanson on Aug. 12 2004,12:13 pm
We have a woman from the Metro area attending the flight school here in town for advanced ratings. She was going back to the Cities, but took the wrong turn on the freeway. She ended up down by the rest stop, southbound. She made an illegal U-turn on the freeway, and headed north.She stopped at the drive-through at Mc Donalds at Trails. As she relates the story, a man walked up to the car and demanded that she roll down the window. She initially refused, but when he persisted, and said he was a highway patrolman, she complied. The man was not in uniform. He said "I saw that illegal U-turn, and I'm going to mail you a ticket". She relates that he seemed to be very angry, and demanded that she produce her driver's license and phone number. She was distraught, but kept her car moving up to the drive-in window. As they approached the window, the man left.
She checked with the highway patrol, who said they NEVER ask for a phone number. They said they have had another instance of this happening "in the area" "recently".
Most police in a metro area suggest that if pulled over, especially by a non-standard (unmarked) car, or by a non-uniformed officer, you should keep moving until reaching a public place--be compliant, but no need to pull over immediately. If approached by a non-uniformed officer, ask for identification.
This idividual now knows her name, address, drivers license number, and phone number. Anybody on the Forum have any other advice to add?
Posted by Tiger on Aug. 12 2004,1:34 pm
Did anyone else see this guy or the car he was driving? I think she should give a descrpition of the guy and the auto if she saw the auto. I would change my phone # for starters. I don't know what I would do in this situation. We can all look at it and say she should've done this or that but I honestly don't know how I would handle the situation.
Posted by jimhanson on Aug. 12 2004,3:46 pm
Her parents contacted the State Patrol, who verified there were no "off-duty" patrolmen matching the description. She said that "they (the Patrol) checked with the local law enforcement office, and there were no officers matching the description". She could not describe the car he got out of, but it was not a patrol car. The man was "about your (my) height and weight (6'4 and 260 pounds of rippling muscle!) 
He was in his 30s or early 40s, wearing shorts.Well, there ya go--I'm 57, and I never wear shorts!
Posted by Tiger on Aug. 12 2004,4:49 pm
I know I will be warning all of my friends and aquaintances about the incident. Now that there have been two of these incidents reported in the area, it is best to have your guard up.
Posted by GEOKARJO on Aug. 12 2004,5:02 pm
A guy with blond hair matching that description was in Eddie's Sat Night he advised me he was an undercover police officer. He made a comment about the Karaoke operators daughter being in the bar, stepped outside to use his phone and came in and said he called the LEC and they told him not to do anything about it cause there was no law against minors being in the bar.I had never seen him before and blew him off cause I knew we were commiting no wrong. As long as a child is with a sober responsible parent (meaning the parent is not drinking at all) we allow for parents to bring their kids Usually over 15 y/o into the bar and enjoy a night of karaoke
Posted by DrBombay on Aug. 13 2004,9:00 am
Maybe it was Minnow.
Posted by The Game on Aug. 13 2004,3:19 pm
Hell, next time he identifies himself that way, Call the LEC and let em know that someone is impersonating an officer and see what happens =) That will be good fun!