Alleged police impersonator pulls woman over in St. George, demands she exit vehicle

ST. GEORGE — Police have responded Monday to a report of an individual who may have been impersonating a police officer to make a traffic stop in St. George. Word of the incident began making the rounds on social media over the weekend, leaving some members of the community on edge.

The St. George Police Department is actively investigating the alleged police impersonation incident that occurred just before 9:30 p.m. Saturday, St. George Police Officer Lona Trombley said.

“In regards to this incident, we are actively investigating who this person could be,” Trombley said. “At this time, we have not determined that it’s one of our vehicles, but we can’t speak for every agency.”

According to the post on social media, a woman was traveling on Brigham Road and turning onto Hidden Valley Drive when she was pulled over by a white, unmarked, four-door, older-style sedan with a red rotating police light placed on the dash.

The man appeared to be wearing a police-style uniform when he approached the woman on the left side of her vehicle and asked her if she knew why he pulled her over, according to the post, which noted that the man did not ask the woman for her identification or insurance information.

The woman had already become suspicious of the alleged officer when she told him she had not been speeding and that he must have been mistaken.

“He then demanded she get out of the car,” the post read. “She told him she would not, rolled up the window, locked the car and called (someone she knew). He started banging on her window with his flashlight hard enough that she was afraid he would break it, all the while, demanding she get out.”

When the woman made the phone call, the man believed by the woman to have been posing as a police officer “ran back to his car and sped off.”

The woman filed a police report shortly thereafter.

Police recommend calling dispatch at 435-627-4300 if a motorist in St. George is concerned that the person who pulled them over may not be a law enforcement officer, Trombley said, noting that the St. George Police Department does utilize unmarked patrol vehicles although she was unclear how many.

Trombley added that there would not be a penalty for calling 911 in a situation in which a motorist is scared or concerned.

Police officers should always have a badge and an identification on them, especially if they’re making a traffic stop so, ask for those,” Trombley said. “An officer would understand your concerns and there would be no penalty, of course, for asking for the proper identification, especially if an officer is not dressed in a normal patrol uniform.”

The man involved in Saturday’s incident is described as having a muscular build and being around 6 feet tall with brown eyes and light brown hair. The man was reportedly wearing a dark blue button-up police-style uniform shirt with numbers or writing on the right breast and a badge of some kind on the left pocket.

“If something like this happens,” Trombley said, “call dispatch and file a report so we can follow up and determine the validity of the incident.”

The following is a copy of the original social media post regarding the incident:

Hello Neighbors,

Just wanted to make you aware of a predator that is in the area posing as a police officer. Jaime was returning home from Walmart this evening and was pulled over for a supposed speeding stop as she was turning from Brigham road onto Hidden Valley at about 9:20 pm. He was not in a marked car with a light bar. He was driving an older white sedan and using a red rotating light he put on the dash.

He appeared to be wearing a police style uniform. He approached Jaime on the left side of the vehicle and asked if she knew why he pulled her over. He did not ask for identification or insurance information. At this point she was already a bit suspicious. When she replied that she did not know he said she had been speeding. She told him that she was not speeding and that he must have been mistaken.

He then demanded she get out of the car. She told him she would not, rolled up the window, locked the car and called me. He started banging on her window with his flashlight hard enough that she was afraid he would break it all the while demanding she get out. Once she connected to me. He ran back to his car and sped off.

We have contacted the police and it has been confirmed that her plate was not run at all. It was definitely a person posing as a police officer.

Here are the details of the vehicle and person. White 4 door sedan – possibly a Dodge Intrepid. Vehicle only used a red rotating light and did not have a spot light. The guy was around 6 ft brown eyes and light brown hair. Muscular build. Wearing a dark blue button up police style uniform shirt. Numbers/writing on the right breast and a badge of some kind on the left pocket. If you see anything suspicious please alert the police.

This report is based on preliminary information provided by law enforcement or witnesses and may not contain the full scope of findings.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2017, all rights reserved.

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7 Comments

  • comments August 14, 2017 at 3:17 pm

    ” Word of the incident began making the rounds on social media over the weekend, leaving some members of the community on edge.”

    If I recall correctly, the last few of these social media circulated events have ended up being total BS. I hope sgpd isn’t sitting so bored that they’re policing facebook looking for rumors and scares. Just imagine, if they stepped up traffic patrols they might even catch this alleged perp. If this is a legit incident it sounds like a tactic that would be used by a serial rapist, but more than likely it’s another bored attention-seeking housewife–a product of too much daytime TV.

    • desertgirl August 14, 2017 at 5:14 pm

      The woman called the police. You assume bored housewife or your FBI experience with serial rapists. How about letting the SGPD do their job. Geez, you can be exceptionally stupid.

  • comments August 14, 2017 at 5:55 pm

    There was the one where the bored LDS housewife claimed on social media that a man tried to grab her kid at the wading pool here in st g. When she was questioned by police she said that actually some man just looked at her funny from several hundred feet away. She felt like she could fabricate a story on FB to get attention. There was another “scare” similar in nature to that one, but I can’t even remember the story of that. These attention-seeking bored housewives cry wolf so many times and folks like me don’t even believe any of it anymore, even when it’s legit. So is there a serial rapist/murderer out there pretending to be a cop? Meh, I doubt it. I aint too worried 😉 Just wish folks would give the daytime TV a break and stop desperately seeking attention on FB. Us here in the real world don’t want to hear silly fabrications of your imaginations or you crying wolf. cheers 😉

    • mickelle August 15, 2017 at 9:24 am

      I personally know the woman who made that claim and she’s not LDS. She attends church at the new SMCC church. In this case the woman actually called the STG police and they confirmed whoever pulled her over was not a police officer. Not too difficult to comprehend.

      • comments August 15, 2017 at 11:51 am

        Well then, you lady drivers need to be careful bc likely we do have a sexual predator/rapist out there. A good rule of thumb is to never trust any police whether legit or not. Plenty of actual cops have been convicted of rape (yes, on the job). Don’t forget it.

        • comments August 15, 2017 at 12:14 pm

          Ok she wasn’t LDS. Did she issue an apology for making such ludicrous and ridiculous claims about “an attempted kidnapping”? Talk about a lack of credibility….

  • old school August 14, 2017 at 6:09 pm

    Authorities ought to take a good look at individuals in law enforcement that live in that particular area, maybe even have them ALL account for their whereabouts, there can’t be that many in a community this size. Can’t belive what that parole officer was getting away, hope it doesn’t end in a cove-up

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