Fake LEO Traffic Stop?

[Roadie]

Ok, so here's the story..

My wife was getting onto 65n at Keystone on the Southside this morning on her way to work about 6:30ish. She is barely on the highway when reds and blues light up behind her. She pulls over, rolls her window done a few inches, and waits. A man in fatigues with a "US Army" patch on his chest walks up to her window and yells at her: "I should write you up, you know that?!".

She asks him what she did, and he replies that she "almost ran that guy off the road". She asked him "what guy?", he ignores her and asks for her License and Registration. My wife, while shaken, had the presence of mind to ask why he didn't have a badge..

He says: "Don't worry about that, roll down your window all the way and give me your license and registration". She refuses, says she knows her Rights, and asks for a uniformed officer. She said the guy got all flustered and asked for her info and asked her to roll down the window again.. When she refused, he said "Next time I am writing you up!" and stormed back to his car. He waited for her to pull out, and got behind her, but didn't follow her off her exit.

She gets to work, and calls the State Police non-emergency number. She explains the above, and they say...

"Well if you didn't get a description of the car, the plate number, or the person's name, there isn't much we can do for you, you should have called 911 when this was going on"



So she asked them if she did the right thing, and they said yes. The weird part was they told her: "Remember, only the State Police have jurisdiction on the highway"

I thought that was a little odd, because I am sure if I blew past IMPD doing 100mph on 65, I WOULD be pulled over..

Anyway, I am a little ticked off that they wouldn't even take a report from her. What if this has happened to other women, but there is no report to link it as an ongoing situation?

Thoughts?

 

[K_W]

Maybe an MP? But still don't think he could have done much.

Your wife did everything right.

 

[phylodog]

"Remember, only the State Police have jurisdiction on the highway"

Thoughts?

Can't advise on the stop but the person your wife spoke with on the phone is an idiot.

 

[RobbyMaQ]

Did he have red AND BLUE lights? It's my understanding that only LE have blue lights (I could be wrong, jut ask my wife)

 

[Sylvain]

Your wife did good.I would not show any ID, DL or registration unless im stopped by a LEO in full uniform with official police car and everything.

 

[9mmfan]

Did he have red AND BLUE lights? It's my understanding that only LE have blue lights (I could be wrong, jut ask my wife)

Volunteer firefighters can run blue-only lights on the personal vehicles while responding to emergency situations.

 

[Sylvain]

Did he have red AND BLUE lights? It's my understanding that only LE have blue lights (I could be wrong, jut ask my wife)

Anybody can buy those lights online, maybe it's illegal to use them if you are not a LEO but it's not impossible to own them and use them.

 

[giovani]

She should have called 911 while it was happening.
I was hasseled by an off duty city police officer several years ago, about 5 miles outside of his jurisdiction and when I told him that a 911 call from my cell phone would ring in at the fort wayne state police post, he shut up and left.

 

[Bunnykid68]

That is just nuts, glad she is ok. You saw my rep comment already so I will leave it at that.

 

[phylodog]

For clarification purposes, in Indiana a LEO must be in either a marked police vehicle or in full uniform to conduct a traffic stop, both are not required.

 

[Sylvain]

For clarification purposes, in Indiana a LEO must be in either a marked police vehicle or in full uniform to conduct a traffic stop, both are not required.

Is it common for a LEO to be in uniform in a unarked car?

 

[Bunnykid68]

Is it common for a LEO to be in uniform in a unarked car?

They are required to be to make a stop. Phylo will correct me if I am wrong

 

[88GT]

For clarification purposes, in Indiana a LEO must be in either a marked police vehicle or in full uniform to conduct a traffic stop, both are not required.

When in doubt (about the legitimacy of the LEO doing the stop, never your information!), I've often seen the advice of call 9-1-1 to verify. What's your thought on that? Wouldn't a LEO tell the person on the phone to end to the call? I can just imagine how well the "I"m calling to see if you're legit" explanation would go over.

 

[patience0830]

Originally Posted by Sylvain
Is it common for a LEO to be in uniform in a unarked car?


In INDIANA it's very common to have state police in uniform in unmarked cars. Lights in the grill and on the dash. Prolly an extra antennae or two, but completely unmarked otherwise.
Shucks, I've seen 'em running radar from the seat of a John Deere tractor in a construction zone with a chase car at the end.

 

[norman428]

wow, plus one for her, I would say she did it perfectly. I also agree she needs to just call 911 next time something like this happens. I would ask her if the lights were ON TOP of the car, oo on the inside, its illegal for a police officer to make a stop without either a Fully marked police car, or in Full uniform. Not marked, Like name and everything on side, no uniform, no stop. He would be fired in a heart beat.

As far as the dispatcher comment goes, yes and no. I have admittedly passed non state police cars on 69, such as metro or fishers, if you are close to indy, fishers doesn't care, and most metro police are going too fast on 70 or 65 or any sate highway to BE passed, so they could care less as well. Many police officers will really only pull someone over in their justification just to avoid conflict of interest. If Carmel started pulling over every idiot on 37 in Noblesville, it would create issues. police get very territorial.

 

[norman428]

Originally Posted by Sylvain
Is it common for a LEO to be in uniform in a unarked car?


In INDIANA it's very common to have state police in uniform in unmarked cars. Lights in the grill and on the dash. Prolly an extra antennae or two, but completely unmarked otherwise.
Shucks, I've seen 'em running radar from the seat of a John Deere tractor in a construction zone with a chase car at the end.

heck state police run completely unmarked mustang GT's as police cars, not to mention the dodge ram 1500's that say "DOT" on the side. As long as they are in full uniform, and have red and Blues in the grill, its still a legit traffic stop.

 

[phylodog]

Is it common for a LEO to be in uniform in a unarked car?

Yes. It's a pretty safe bet (in Indy) that a uniformed officer in an unmarked car is not a regular patrol officer but there are plenty who don't fit that mold.

If either a marked car or uniform are involved but aren't enough I wouldn't expect an officer to have issue showing their ID card to prove their identity. The problem with that is that our ID cards look less official than most high school ID cards in this city.

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

Thoughts?

What kind of car was he driving?

 

[Frank_N_Stein]

The problem with that is that our ID cards look less official than most high school ID cards in this city.

And the picture on mine is 10 years old.

 

[Kutnupe14]

What kind of car was he driving?

+1, I'd like details on the vehicle. That's good info to help catch the guy.