Hmmm. Young women being stopped...same M.O...three in a week...same area. In our line of work those are known as "clues."
Posted on 10/30/2008 7:37:21 PM PDT by marktwain
A man apparently impersonating a police officer pulled a gun on a Gillette woman this morning after stopping her on Highway 259 between Midwest and Interstate 25.
The man, who was driving a gray single cab pickup, had used a yellow light to stop the woman at about 7 a.m., said Natrona County Sheriff's Sgt. Mark Sellers. She didn't see a badge on him, so when he asked for her identification, she asked for his.
That's when the man, who was wearing a black tee shirt that said "Police" on the back, pulled out a handgun.
"He got irate at that point and ordered her out of her vehicle," Sellers said.
The woman, 30, refused to comply, and the man got angry and left. She drove to Casper, where she reported the incident to authorities.
Sheriff's deputies are searching for the suspect, who is described as a white man in his late twenties or early thirties, about 6 feet tall with short hair and an average build.
This morning's incident is the third in less than a week involving someone who approached a driver while apparently posing as a law enforcement officer.
Thursday night, a man who identified himself as a cop approached a motorist who was already pulled over on the Interstate 25 off-ramp at Curtis Street. When the motorist asked to see his badge, the man showed him a gun.
Three nights later, a man driving a truck with the word "sheriff" in red on the side, stopped a woman by Opportunity Boulevard and Enterprise Drive. The man asked her what she was doing, but ultimately let her go.
Authorities are investigating whether the incidents are connected, Sellers said.
I’m not against the Police doing their job, but I don’t like unmarked police cars doing regular traffic monitoring.
In California look at their license plate. It should an an “E” on it for exempt. If it doesn’t it’s probably a crook.
Sounds like the Gillette woman had a close shave.
In Kansas it should be a plain white plate with blue stenciling and a small Government printed at the bottom
One time I was driving my girlfriend and her best friend home at about 3:30 AM. She had been involved in a car accident earlier and we were returning from the emergency room. Apparently I was following the car in front of me too closely for the officer's taste, and he turned his lights on to pull me over. I put my signal on and waited about 500 feet to pull over, because there was very little shoulder (I would have effectively had to stop on U.S. 11). When I did stop in a parking lot, the officer proceeded to give me a lecture on how the law says that drivers are to pull over IMMEDIATELY and it wasn't up to me to decide when to stop. Then, after I presented him my CCW and told him that I had my weapon in the car, he proceeded to lecture me on how I didn't have to tell him that I had a weapon and asked me why I told him (my answer was it was courtesy). He then asked me about the two computers I had in my backseat (I suppose he thought that was suspicious, but it was not unusual to me, as I did computer work as an a occupation for quite a while).
All in all, I realize that the situation (BMW M3 with 3 passengers going down 11 at 3:30 AM) was suspicious. I have nothing but respect for most police officers, but it was still one of the most bizarre traffic stops I have ever been involved in. Most officers actually APPRECIATE the fact that I declare my weapon! Oh well. Thats the end of my rant. :-P
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