Beware! Police Impersonator Cruising Around Kennewick!

Motorists around Kennewick be aware as a police impersonator has been allegedly pulling over cars.

The incident happened on West Clearwater Ave Tuesday afternoon at around 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM in Kennewick.

A routine traffic stop turned into a potential scary incident for one driver who got pulled over by a police impersonator driving an older model Victoria or Caprice.

Kennewick Police posted the incident information on their Facebook page:

The Kennewick Police Department was made aware of a potential Police Impersonator that allegedly conducted a traffic stop on a citizen and repeatedly identified himself as a Police Officer. The incident reportedly occurred on May 7, 2019 around 1:00 to 1:30 p.m. The citizen was driving eastbound on W Clearwater Ave when an older model Ford Crown Victoria or Chevy Caprice equipped with a single rotating beacon, activated the beacon and stopped the citizen. The imper
requested to see the driver's information and at one point reached into the vehicle in an attempt to open the door. The citizen became suspicious early on and began questioning the impersonator who ultimately admitted to not being a police officer.

Impersonating a Police Officer is a severe offense and the Kennewick Police Department takes seriously any person who misrepresents themselves to be a law enforcement officer. Our department and our Officers are committed to the safety of the community and work diligently each day to professionally enforce the laws and keep the peace.
Citizens should be aware that the Kennewick Police Department Patrol Division operates a fleet of marked black and white patrol vehicles (Pictured below). The department does utilize unmarked vehicles in its operations and those vehicles are fully equipped with emergency signaling equipment.
It is vitally important that the citizens of Kennewick know they can trust their Police Officers. As such we will continue to monitor this incident and explore leads as we receive them. At this time however, this appears to be an isolated incident.
As always we want to empower the public to be our partners in preventing and reducing crime. If any person believes they have witnessed, are observing, or experiencing suspicious circumstances they are encouraged to call dispatch at (509)-628-0333, or 911 if they feel there is an immediate threat to the safety or welfare of themselves or others.

It's a scary notion that there is someone pulling people over, scaring drivers so be aware and if you have any fears and suspicions, drive to the nearest Police Department.

Filed Under: kennewick police

Categories: Featured, Tri-Cities News