Motorists warned about police impersonator

A woman reports being pulled over by a man with a blue light on his dashboard

Honolulu police are warning motorists to be on the lookout for a man pretending to be a police officer who may try to pull them over.

The man has already stopped one motorist and tried to persuade her to step out of her vehicle, police said.

The woman told police she was on her way home from work about 7:45 p.m. May 23 when the suspect stopped her on Piikoi Street next to Queen Kaahumanu Elementary School. She said the suspect had a flashing blue light on the dashboard of his car and used a loudspeaker to order her to stop.

The suspect was not wearing a uniform. But he identified himself as a police officer, told the woman he stopped her because her vehicle had a defective tail light and asked her to get out of her vehicle, said Sgt. Kim Buffett, Honolulu CrimeStoppers coordinator.

"She refused," Buffett said. "At this time she was on the phone with her husband, on her cell phone. The male tried to grab the phone. She started screaming for help."

Two males who were walking nearby went to the woman's aid.

"The suspect, instead of claiming to be a police officer, said, 'This is my wife and we're arguing,'" Buffett said.

The woman told the males that she didn't know the suspect. When the men approached the suspect and asked him for identification, he fled, police said.

Police are asking the men who assisted the woman to come forward. They are also looking for anybody else who may have witnessed the incident or may have information that can identify the suspect.

The impersonator is believed to be in his late 20s and has a tan complexion. He was wearing a black jacket and black pants. His vehicle is a four-door sedan, dark blue or black, with dark tinted windows.

Police said they are aware of an e-mail circulating in Honolulu warning women of a man pretending to be a police officer and believe last month's incident prompted the e-mail.

They advise motorists that if they are stopped and are suspicious of the person stopping them, to stay in their vehicle and call 911. Police said none of their cars is authorized to have blue lights on the dashboard and that plainclothes officers do not make traffic stops.