Denton police are investigating a report of someone impersonating a police officer. It allegedly happened Wednesday morning when a woman was pulled over. NBC 5’s Vince Sims has more from Denton on what you should do in a situation you feel unsure about.
It was near Fort Worth Drive and Country Club Drive in Denton where a woman says she was pulled over by someone in an unmarked car with emergency lights.
Ryan Wheeler knows first-hand this can be a scary situation from an encounter he had two years ago.
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WATCH HERE“Like flash, flash a light bar at me like they were trying to pull me over,” driver Ryan Wheeler said. “Then went around me and they weren’t a cop. We called the police on them.”
Detectives from the Denton Police Department are looking into her claims and continuing their investigation.
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SIGN UP “It could have got a lot worse if it was during the night and no one paying attention,” Raymond Singleton who works nearby said.
This leaves people in the area a bit on edge.
“Yeah, it’s pretty uncomfortable,” Wheeler said.
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“It’s like what has this world come to where people have to act like cops,” Singleton said. “What do they have to gain by doing that?”
Denton police tell NBC 5 that in a traffic stop like this, their officers would be in uniform and marked vehicles. They’d also be able to provide their badge number and name when asked.
Police also say when in doubt, don't hesitate to call 911 and a dispatcher can assist in verifying if the officer and stop are legitimate.
Exactly what some drivers say they'll now do if it happens to them.
“I would call exactly 911 before I got out of a car or rolled down a window to make sure it is a legit cop,” Singleton said.
