Area law enforcement agencies took to Facebook last week to warn the public of a man impersonating a police officer to pull over motorists, though no suspect had been apprehended by press time.
The first warning arrived on Jan. 29 after a report of the impersonator came into the neighboring Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office in North Carolina.
Continue reading with a subscription.
North Georgia News — serving Union County since 1909.
Cancel anytime.
Describing the suspect as “a while male, smaller in stature with brown hair,” the Sheriff’s Office said the man was reportedly driving “a black Dodge Charger with tinted windows and a tinted tag cover” on US 19, just south of NC 141, when the incident under investigation occurred.
“The suspect was wearing a gray and dark blue uniform with a vest containing a radio and handcuffs,” the post continued, advising drivers to keep an eye out for the distinctive county patch worn by its patrol deputies.
“Non-uniformed members will have a clearly visible badge and rarely conduct traffic stops, but do occasionally,” the Sheriff’s Office said. “The same applies to Alcohol Law Enforcement.
“If you are ever concerned for your safety, please call 911, indicate by a turn signal and travel to a well-lit area.”
Two days later, on Jan. 31, the Towns County Sheriff’s Office announced that “an unknown individual has been reported in multiple counties surrounding our area pulling over cars and approaching citizens impersonating a law enforcement officer.”
TCSO revealed that the man had reportedly been using “a single emergency light” to stop people and that the tinted tag cover was “to conceal their tag.”
“So far, this has been reported in Cherokee County (North Carolina), Towns County and in the Union County area as well,” TCSO said.
In a follow-up post on Saturday, TCSO said it had investigated two potential instances of the impersonator being present in Towns County, concluding that these reported incidents – including one involving a picture of roadside activity – were actually “mistaken identity.”
“One incident is one sitting on the side of the road and the other involving a male in a black Charger pulling over a car,” TCSO said, noting that it had no all-black Dodge patrol cars in its fleet. “Both incidents have been cleared.
“The first was found to be a (Georgia State Patrol) Trooper, and the second was the one in which the picture is being circulated. This was a Towns County Deputy in a marked patrol car wearing a uniform conducting a lawful traffic stop.
“At this time there has been no incidents involving a black charger in Towns County. In (North Carolina) there has been an incident of a male pulling over a car in a black Dodge Charger or a Black Tahoe.”
The Union County Sheriff’s Office also issued a warning last Friday, concurring with TCSO in a follow-up post on Saturday that “there have been no further incidents involving a black charger in either Union or Towns County.”
Also last week, the Blairsville Police Department shared a post by the Hiawassee Police Department warning the public about the original incident in Cherokee County, North Carolina.
Generally speaking, motorists are advised to pay attention to the official patches warn by each respective law enforcement agency and to call 911 if they are ever in doubt during a traffic stop.
