A Mercer County man says he was assaulted by a phony policeman on a country road outside Preemption.
He doesn't want to be identified but says he was headed to work at Hon Industries in Muscatine to start his early morning shift when he saw what he thought was a parked police car.
"A little older version of the Crown Victorias. White. I thought it was an unmarked squad car," he said.
The car followed him, with red lights flashing in the windshield. So he pulled over.
"He told me to get out of the truck. As soon as I got out of the truck, he hit me with something right here in the forehead. I'm thinking it was a stick or something, but it got me down to my knees," he said.
He says he got back up and pushed the police imposter, and jumped in his truck and took off.
"I was scared. I didn't know if he they might have a knife or gun or whatever. Preying on somebody alone, on a country road in the middle of nowhere. I think he's targeting people to steal from them or something," he said.
He called 9-1-1 and Mercer County Sheriff's deputies searched the vicinity. Illinois State police have also been notified.
The victim has been treated this past week for a swollen optic nerve in his left eye which is causing some blurred vision after the attack.
"I'd like to warn people what is going on," he said.
He says it all happened so fast and it was so dark that he doesn't have a good description of the culprit.
"All I know it looked like a squad car, with a red flashing light," he said.