Police seek man impersonating officer

A 28-year-old Lorain woman alleges she was pulled over by a man impersonating a police officer, according to a police report.

The woman told police that on Nov. 22 at 7:00 a.m. she was driving eastbound in the 5300 block of West Erie Ave. near Convenient Food Mart just east of Kolbe Road when the car behind her turned on a spotlight before displaying flashing blue lights mounted on the vehicle’s interior.

The woman, believing the vehicle was a police car pulled over to the side of the road at which point a black male approached her vehicle wearing a uniform and a badge.

The victim said she questioned the police badge in the man’s possession because it did not shine like typical police badges.

The man asked the victim for her driver’s license and vehicle registration while rocking back and forth, appearing nervous. Before handing over her documents, she asked the man why she was pulled over and was told that she had a broken tail light.

According to the report, the man said “I could give you a ticket, but what would you be willing to do to avoid it.”

When the woman asked the man for his name, badge number and the name of his supervisors, he ran back to his car, making a u-turn, heading westbound on West Erie Avenue.

After the victim filed a report, officers checked the area and were unable to locate the suspect’s vehicle, described as a Black Ford Crown Victoria. Review of surveillance footage of the alleged encounter from area businesses is ongoing, the report said.

The suspect is described as a black male with a mocha skin color in his late 30s to early 40s with a stocky build and standing about 5’7” tall. He had a short goatee and was wearing a black police uniform, a state trooper style hat, and a utility belt with handcuffs.