After Blackfalds RCMP issued an alert that a man pretending to be a police officer had pulled over a woman in Blackfalds, police reported Wednesday morning that in fact it was a real police officer.
RCMP had said earlier that at about 1 p.m. on Tuesday a lone female was driving northbound on Hwy 2A in Blackfalds when a newer model grey Jeep Patriot moved in behind her.
The male driver activated a siren and flashing head lights. The woman stopped her vehicle and the man identified himself as a police officer and presented a badge to the woman.
After asking for insurance and registration, the man gave her a warning and departed. The man was not wearing a police uniform. RCMP asked the public to report any information regarding the incident to the Blackfalds detachment.
RCMP have since verified that the woman was pulled over by a neighbouring detachment officer who was driving an unmarked police vehicle with working emergency equipment.
Last week Alberta RCMP reported that a woman driving alone in the Grande Prairie area at night had been pulled over by a man impersonating a police officer. He was not wearing a uniform but had flashing lights on his vehicle.
The man asked the woman to get out of her vehicle but she sensed something was not right and did not get out of the vehicle. The man did not provide a badge or give his name. The woman subsequently reported the incident to police.
Police issued a warning to Albertans to be alert for people pretending to be police. They recommended asking for identification and if the person claiming to be an officer fails to provide identification, call 911.