A man is in custody after he was caught impersonating a law enforcement officer in Tucson.
According to the Tucson Police Department, on August 18th, just before 1:00 a.m., an officer patrolling the east side saw a dark blue minivan follow and attempt to pull over a vehicle near S. Kolb Road and E. Escalante Blvd. The officer quickly determined this was not a real law enforcement officer and called in for back up.
Officers were able to stop the minivan nearby and found that the driver, 64-year-old Robert Handley, had improvised emergency law enforcement lighting by securing a strobe light with blue tape to his van. Additionally, police located a night vision monocular, binoculars, and two toy guns in holsters in the van. After completing their investigation police charged Handley with Felony Impersonation of a Peace Officer.
Tucson Police advise members of the public that if you find yourself in a similar situation, remember to pull into a well lit area and call 9-1-1 to verify that the traffic stop is legitimate. You can also ask for the officer’s name and badge number or police issued identification.