Columbia police point out ways to identify officer impersonator

After someone reported an incident in which a man posed as a law enforcement officer in Columbia, police said Monday that there are ways to discern a real officer from an impostor.

The first indicator that something isn’t right about the traffic stop is the flashing lights on the patrol car.

“Officer’s lights are always flashing blue and red,” said Columbia police spokeswoman Bryana Larimer. “In this one it had the yellow bar, yellow lights that were flashing. That would not be any of our officers.”

Detective Tom O’Sullivan, with the Boone County Sheriff’s Department, said that their patrol cars also don’t have yellow flashing lights.

The victim Saturday reported they were pulled over by a dark-colored SUV that was unmarked.

Law enforcement in Columbia and Boone County will rarely pull someone over in an unmarked car. They’ll also introduce themselves and have an identifying patch on their uniform, unlike the man this past weekend.

“This individual had a gut feeling that something wasn’t right,” Larimer said. “A lot of times that’s really what we need to be able to go with in a situation like this.”

Police would not release the details of the stop because it’s still under investigation but the victim was not harmed during the stop.

Larimer said if something feels off, take precautions. Turn your hazards on and start slowing down just in case, but don’t come to a stop until you reach a safe, well lit place like a gas station or parking lot.

As you’re slowing down, call 911.

“The sooner you can start dialing that phone number to get to 911 and letting that dispatcher know what’s going on and that you have concerns with this suspicious circumstance, the sooner then that that dispatcher is gonna be able to start trying to confirm whether or not that’s an authentic police officer,” Larimer said.

Columbia police officers and Boone County deputies are aware of the reported impersonator and will not punish anyone for taking precautions.

“It’s important for our officers to understand that people aren’t trying to evade traffic stops now so we are giving officers that information that you might see citizens that are going to be putting hazards on, not coming to a stop until they hit that well lit area, and contacting 911 if they think it’s suspicious,” Larimer said.