Essex County OPP release sketch of man who allegedly impersonated an officer
Man allegedly pulled over Essex County driver to inquire about essential status
Essex County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) released on Friday a composite image of a man suspected to have impersonated an officer in late April.
According to OPP, the man allegedly pulled over a woman on April 23 driving on Naylor Side Road near the intersection of North Talbot Road, while "wearing clothing resembling the uniform of a police officer."
OPP said the man asked questions related to the driver's status as an essential service provider.
The man was described as a white male, approximately 30 to 40 years old, tall and fit, with short brown hair and a scruffy beard.
His vehicle was described as a small, black and white "older model," four-door car resembling a Ford Taurus. The vehicle was outfitted with a roof-mounted emergency light bar with red and blue lights, according to OPP.
"Through extensive investigation, it has been confirmed that this individual was not a police officer and the OPP is asking for assistance in identifying him," OPP said in a Friday media release.
A similar incident took place in Fergus, Ont. in mid-April, during which a man wearing a black long-sleeve shirt and a ballistic vest with the word "police" in yellow-orange letters across the front also allegedly stopped a driver to inquire about their essential worker status.
The man in the Fergus incident was described as being approximately 30 to 40 years old, with short dark hair and unshaven facial hair. That man's vehicle was described as a black, four-door sedan, possibly a Ford Fusion or a Ford Taurus.