Man sought for impersonating cop, pulling drivers over: OPP

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is searching for a man who has been impersonating a cop and pulling over drivers in Wellington County.

Police say they have received multiple complaints from citizens who have been stopped by a man in an unmarked vehicle who claims to be a police officer.

On Apr. 14, a driver was pulled over by a man who asked for proof the driver was an essential worker. Once the driver provided the information, the suspect returned to his vehicle and drove off.

The man is described as white, 30 to 40 years of age, with short dark hair, and an unshaven face. He was wearing a black long sleeve shirt and a ballistic vest with “POLICE” in yellowish-orange letters across the front and back.

He was driving a black, four-door, sedan, with a blue strobe light on the dash and a small aerial antenna on the trunk.

“The OPP is not conducting random traffic stops to check motorists’ work status during the COVID-19 pandemic, nor are drivers required to prove they are an essential worker to police,” said Acting Inspector Paul Richardson, Detachment Commander, OPP Wellington County.

Police are reminding residents that if you are stopped or approached by an officer in plain clothes who is driving an unmarked vehicle, it is within your rights to ask for the officer’s identification or request a uniformed officer to be present.

If you have reason to believe the person is not a police officer, call 911.

Anyone with information that could help with the investigation or who has experienced a similar incident is asked to contact OPP at 1-888-310-1122.