WALL TOWNSHIP, NJ – A cop impersonator is roaming the Jersey Shore in a fake police uniform, using a blue dome light. On at least two occasions, the man targeted women and in one incident, he tried to pull a woman from her vehicle.
According to a statement issued by the New Jersey State Police, the State Police, Wall Township Police Department, and Brick Township Police Department are seeking the public’s assistance with identifying a man suspected of impersonated a police officer.
On August 1, at approximately 2:00 p.m., the victim stopped her car in Brick Township because she thought a police officer was pulling her over. The suspect was driving behind the victim in a black, older model Ford Crown Victoria when he activated a blue dome light on the front dashboard.
When the victim pulled over, the suspect approached her vehicle and identified himself as a police officer. After a brief exchange, she became suspicious and asked him for identification. He failed to provide identification and instead instructed her to exit the vehicle.
She refused to exit and the suspect attempted to remove her from the vehicle before she fled the scene and reported the incident.
During the investigation, detectives discovered that a similar incident occurred on August 3 at approximately 9:45 p.m. in Wall Township. Another female victim reported that a man in black, older model Ford Crown Victoria pulled her over and impersonated a police officer.
The suspect is described as a white male, 40-50 years old, with long red hair pulled back in a ponytail, a red scruffy beard, and tattoos on both arms and the back of his hands. He was last seen wearing black BDU pants, a light blue short-sleeved bloused shirt with the word “police” on the front and non-descriptive patches on the arms that also said “police” but no specific department. He was also wearing a duty belt and a holster with what appeared to be black handgun.A detective with the State Police Forensic Imaging Unit created a composite sketch of the suspect.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Christopher Mason of the Wall Township Police Department at 732-449-4500 ext. 1192 or Detective Michael Bennett of the Brick Township Police Department at 732-262-1100.