Sheriff's Department seeks pair impersonating officers

Two people have been impersonating law-enforcement officers in the Turlock and Denair areas, the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department warns.

The pair — a Sheriff's Department post on Facebook did not say if they are men or women — are reported to be driving a newer white Chevrolet car with forward-facing red and blue emergency lights.

If drivers who are being pulled over by law enforcement are unsure of the vehicle's origins, they should slow down, follow all traffic laws, put on the emergency flashers and continue driving to the next well-lighted, open business or populated area before pulling over, the post warns.

It did not say if the fake officers succeeded in stopping anyone and, if so, what the pair did at that point.

Drivers could also call 911 to verify with the dispatcher that the vehicle with the flashing lights is a law enforcement officer, the Sheriff's Department said. "Give the dispatcher a detailed location of where you are and a description of your vehicle."

Generally, if the police vehicle has police markings, it is highly unlikely it's an impostor, the post warns. "A civilian driving a marked police vehicle would most likely be spotted very quickly by an actual police officer, and that individual would quickly get arrested for impersonating an officer."

Anyone with information on the two people or who has been contacted by them is urged to call the Sheriff’s Department at 209-552-2468 or your local police department.

We'll have more information as it's available.

This story was originally published October 31, 2017 at 7:07 AM with the headline "Sheriff's Department seeks pair impersonating officers."