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A Sheriff's Office spokeswoman says the victims' descriptions of the impersonator make police think it is the same man.
By KATHERINE BLOK
© St. Petersburg Times, published July 18, 2000
SPRING HILL -- Sheriff's officials said Monday that two people have been stopped in the same Spring Hill neighborhood by someone impersonating a police officer.
Both victims said the individual who pulled them over was a white man who had blond hair, wore black clothing and drove a light blue Ford car. One of the victims said the man was about 5-foot-6, 170 pounds and between 30 and 35 years old. Neither victim was injured.
Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Deanna Dammer said there were enough similarities in the witnesses' reports to make officials think the same person made both stops.
"If it isn't (the same person), it's a real big coincidence," Dammer said.
The first stop was made at Norvell and Terrell roads about 8 p.m. Friday. The intersection is south of Elgin Boulevard and west of Mariner Boulevard in the northern part of Spring Hill.
The impersonator turned on blue lights, which were on the center of the car's dashboard, and pulled over a 27-year-old woman. The woman told a sheriff's deputy that the suspect was not wearing a badge, but wore an identification tag that said "L. Torey." She said the man never asked for her driver's license or car registration. He told her she was driving 6 mph above the speed limit and that the fine was $200, but that he was only giving her a verbal warning.
The deputy checked with the Sheriff's Office, Florida Highway Patrol, Florida Department of Transportation, Florida Marine Patrol, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the state Fire Marshal's Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservancy for an officer with the name of L. Torey, but turned up no such person.
The second stop was made at Landover Boulevard and Abagail Drive about 11:30 p.m. Friday, when someone used a siren and a spotlight to pull over a 26-year-old man.
The impersonator told the man he was a corrections officer, but did not indicate to the man why he was pulling him over. Before the conversation was over, the man said, the impersonator said "I'll see you later" and drove off, heading east on Landover Boulevard.
The man told a deputy that he was speeding at the time of the stop and was relieved when he did not get a ticket.
Dammer said anyone who is pulled over should politely ask the officer for identification, since every officer wears or carries a badge and also carries an ID card. People should also try to pull over into a well-lit area where others can view the situation, she said.
If anyone is pulled over by someone who they think is impersonating an officer, they should get as much information as possible, Dammer said, especially a license plate number and a physical description of the individual.
"And definitely don't hesitate to call (the Sheriff's Office)," she said.