Seattle Crime reported earlier this week that a carjacker posing as a police officer near 13th and Marion stole a car at gunpoint May 16. However, Seattle Crime now reports that the robber may have tried the same trick unsuccessfully near E Barclay St and 12th Ave an hour and a half earlier.
SPD posted about the incident on the Blotter:
The Seattle Police Department is investigating two reported cases of a suspect who is representing himself as a plain-clothes police officer. In one of the cases, he actually stole the victim’s car.
On May 16th, at approximately 5:30 PM, a woman had just parked her car on East Barclay Street near 12th Avenue. As she was getting out of her car, she was approached by a white male, approximately 25-30 years old, with blonde hair and blue eyes. He was described as being about 5′ 8″ tall, and about 170 pounds. He was wearing blue jeans and a blue and white checked shirt. The man demanded to know what she was doing. The woman acknowleged that she had parked her car on the wrong side of the street, but didn’t think too much else of his demand. The suspect then asked the woman for her identification. The woman refused, and asked the suspect if he was a police officer. The suspect stated that he was an officer, and displayed a handgun in his waist band. He further stated that he was an undercover cop and he was there to make a narcotics raid on a nearby apartment, and that her car was in the way of the operation.
The man demanded her car keys so he could move her car. The woman refused to hand over her keys, stating that she would move it herself. The suspect said something to the effect of “Do I look like someone who would steal your car? My car is much better than yours.” The woman moved her car and the suspect continued to speak with her. Just then her friend who had been watching the entire incident, came out of the building. The suspect then walked away and around the corner. The woman came into the East Precinct to report the suspicious circumstances the following day.
At about 7:00 PM on the 16th a man was getting into his light blue, 1992 Mercedes 190 4 door in the 1300 Block of East Marion Street. The victim was approached by the same suspect, who stated that they were “getting ready to do a raid” and pointed to a nearby house. The suspect stated that he would move the victim’s car. The suspect told the victim that there was a “van full of guys just up the block.” The victim believed the suspect was representing himself as a police officer. The suspect lifted his shirt and displayed a handgun in his waistband. The suspect demanded that the victim get out of his car. The suspect then got into the victim’s car and drove away southbound on 14th Avenue. The victim was able to flag down a passing vehicle and call 911. Officers arrived and conducted an area check, but could not locate the suspect or the victim’s car.
Real police officers will always identify themselves with proper identification and a badge. If in doubt, always call 911 if you have concerns about the officer.
The Seattle Police Department is investigating both of these incidents. If anyone has any information about these incidents, or believe that they may have encountered this suspect, they are asked to contact Detective Rodgers at (206) 684-0821.