LYON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A phony officer made a traffic stop early Thursday morning near Interstate 96 and Milford Road in Lyon Township.
Someone called 911 to report the stop because the man's uniform and vehicle appeared suspicious.
911 caller: "There was a silver Bonneville with police lights pulling over someone and the guy got out and he had a sheriff's vest on, I guess, with blue pants and it seemed really odd."
It just so happened another off-duty officer saw the traffic stop. When he tried to follow the fake cop, the driver sped away.
"It could be a power thing in pulling people over or whatever. That's troubling but not as troubling if there's a secondary motive of seeking to victimize them, either by robbery or sexual assault," said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard.
Bouchard said you can always ask to see an officer's badge and identification.
"Those are the things I would look for -- real credentials and something beyond just a cap or a vest," he said. "You can buy those (vests) online and in a novelty store."
Local 4 visited Harry's Army Surplus in Dearborn.
"At a certain point you're saying you're somebody, right?" said Lori Miller, employee at Harry's.
If you want a police of sheriff's decal from Harry's, you need proof you're in law enforcement.
"And so if you're wearing a police badge, you have police ID or anything like that, then you're definitely impersonating a police officer and that's illegal," said Miller.