Authorities in Arkansas are searching for a person who pretended to be a police officer earlier this month and followed a woman for over 20 miles before pulling her over.
According to a news release from the Carroll County sheriff's office, the individual followed the victim from the parking lot of the Tanger Outlet Mall in Branson, Mo., crossing state lines before stopping her in Blue Eye, Ark.
The woman, who is in her early 20s, was not harmed or threatened during the traffic stop, Carroll County sheriff’s office Maj. George Frye said. After speaking with her, the person got back in his car and sped north toward Missouri, authorities said.
The pretender’s black-and-white Ford Crown Victoria had decals on the sides that spelled out “Taney County Police” in gold letters, as well as a 24-inch wide red-and-blue light bar on its roof, according to the release.
Frye said that department doesn’t exist and that such behavior — tailing a person through two counties and into another state — is highly unusual.
“No police officer or sheriff’s deputy has the kind of jurisdiction that they can do that,” Frye said.
The stranger was described as a white male who stands about 5 feet 11 inches tall with a “stocky” build who wore a black short-sleeve shirt without a badge, name tag or emblem on its front.
He was bald and had the “outline of a recently trimmed off beard,” authorities said. The victim said the fake officer had “large biceps like a bodybuilder.” He was not carrying a gun, Taser, handcuffs or radio, the release states.
