By Michelle Hunter, East Jefferson bureau
Times-Picayune
Authorities are looking for a man who pulled over a teenager while posing as a police officer and attempted to search the woman Monday night.
The 18-year-old girl, who was not identified by The Times-Picayune, left work at a restaurant about 10:30 p.m. and was headed west on Jefferson Highway when she noticed that she was being followed by a small white vehicle, according to an incident report from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.
When the blue lights displayed on the car’s dashboard began flashing, the girl pulled over at Central Avenue. A man dressed in a dark uniform with patches on the sleeve shone a flashlight in her face and directed her to the hood of her own vehicle, leaning over her, the report said. The man told her he stopped her for speeding and said it was procedure that he give her a pat down.
When the girl insisted she wasn’t speeding and balked at his request, he reportedly told her that she was lucky he wasn’t giving her a cavity search, the report said. As the man told her it was a felony to resist, he seemed shaken by a siren from a real emergency vehicle passing nearby. The man then became nervous, told the woman he was letting her off without a ticket, but warned her that he always works the area, the report said.
The man then quickly walked to his car and drove off. After the woman reported the incident to authorities, both the Sheriff’s Office and State Police confirmed they had no officers conducting vehicle stops in the area.
Sheriff’s Office policy calls for female officers to handle any extensive searches deemed necessary for a woman who is in custody, said Col. John Fortunato, spokesman for the department. He called the stop an isolated incident and said the Sheriff’s Office has not received any other similar reports.
If a motorist feels uneasy about being pulled over by what appears to be an unmarked law enforcement vehicle, Fortunato said the best course of action is to slow down to acknowledge the vehicle. Then, the motorist should proceed to the nearest well-lit and populated area and stop.
Motorists with cell phones can call 911 to notify them of the stop and their intentions. If things seem fishy, Fortunato said motorists should try to collect as much information as possible about the person and the vehicle.
In the case of Monday night’s stop, investigators had no luck when they searched the area for the counterfeit cop. But they are still looking for the suspect. He was described as being about 38 to 42 years old with an athletic build. He was about 5-feet-10 inches and weighed about 185 pounds. The man had short brown hair that was cut just above his ear and was wearing a dark uniform with a silver badge, patches on the sleeves and a utility belt. He was carrying a long flashlight and a large radio.
The man was driving a small, white vehicle that could have been a Toyota Corolla or similar type of vehicle. The car had no license plate or flashing lights on the roof.
Copyright 2006 The Times-Picayune Publishing Company