Police impersonator pulls driver over

SPARTA TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) - Authorities are looking for the man who they say impersonated a police officer in northwest Kent County.

Around 7:50 p.m. on Nov. 1, according to police, a driver headed south on Peach Ridge Avenue near 15 Mile Road in Sparta Township saw what appeared to be a silver, newer-model Pontiac Bonneville with tinted windows activate two flashing blue lights on its dashboard.

Assuming it was a police officer, the southbound driver pulled over. A man, described as a 6-foot white male in his early 20s with a skinny build, exited the other car. He was wearing jeans and a hooded sweatshirt. The southbound driver said the suspect had something like a flashlight in his hand.

The southbound driver fled.

The suspect's car was last seen making a U-turn to head north on Peach Ridge.

Authorities say the area near the incident is patrolled by the Kent County Sheriff's Department, the Michigan State Police and the Sparta Police Department, all of which have clear police markings and highly visible emergency lights.

If unsure about the legitimacy of the vehicle performing a traffic stop, drivers are advised to call 911 and continue driving slowly. 

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Kent County Sheriff Department at 616.632.6125 or Silent Observer at 616.774.2345.