VIOLA, Ill. — The Mercer County Sheriff's Office is warning the public to be more observant after a man impersonated a police officer and attempted a traffic stop Thursday, Aug. 25 in Viola.
At about noon Thursday, a man driving a black or dark-colored smaller SUV motioned for a female driver to pull over. His vehicle didn't have visible police markings or police lights
Believing the man to be a police officer, the driver pulled over. As he approached her vehicle, the man, who was white, possibly in his early 30s and wearing all black clothing and sunglasses, said he was a police officer.
The sheriff's office asked the public to watch out for unusual activity like this and only pull over for vehicles with visible flashing red lights.
If you are questioning the authenticity of a police traffic stop, the sheriff's office said to turn on your hazard lights, slow down and continue driving to a safe place while calling 911 to verify if the stop is legitimate.
Anyone with information related to the incident should call the Mercer County Sheriff's Office at 309-582-5192 or Mercer County Crimestoppers at 309-582-3500.
