Fake Police Cruiser Impounded, Police Asking Public If Anyone's Been Pulled Over
BELLEVUE (KDKA) -- Bellevue Police are asking for help from the public. They want to know if you've been pulled over by a man driving a fake police cruiser.
It looks like your typical unmarked police car with flashing red and blue lights, a K-9 license plate, a push bar on the front and a blue and white decal and badge in the back. Plus, it has a fully operational siren.
But the cruiser is not real and was impounded on Friday.
A Bellevue police officer noticed the driver at a Shell gas station on Ohio River Boulevard.
"Saw that the driver was not wearing a police uniform. I asked him if he was a policeman, he said no. He asked him if he was a constable, he said no," Bellevue Borough Police Chief Matthew Sentner said.
Police describe the driver as a white man in his mid-30s. They say he's from the Pittsburgh area and has a lengthy criminal background.
He told police he was going to try and sell police equipment someday.
"A computer stand on the inside. Everything that's consistent with our type of police cars. Actually more lights than most unmarked cars," Chief Sentner said.
In the state of Pennsylvania, police say it's illegal to attach red and blue lights to a car and take it out on the street.
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The vehicle, a Ford Police Interceptor is registered in the driver's name. Police say the driver could face serious charges if they find out he has pulled people over.
"That's why we're trying to find out if he has more than just the vehicle. If there's a badge, identification, that type of thing that would show more that he is representing himself," Chief Sentner said.
Police say you're within your right to ask an officer to show his badge.
"Use your cell phone. Contact the dispatch center and ask them if the car pulling you over is a police officer. They will know. They'll be in contact with the vehicle and be able to tell you, yes it is, and to pull over," Chief Sentner said.
The Allegheny County District Attorney is involved in this case. Formal charges have yet to be filed.
