The flashing red and blue lights in a motorist’s rearview mirror did not belong to a police officer, according to Brownsville authorities.
Luis Enrique Paz, 24, is accused of trying to pull over a driver flashing lights on his car, said Investigator Martin Sandoval, spokesman for Brownsville Police Department. Paz has been arrested and charged with impersonating a police officer, Sandoval confirmed Wednesday.
The incident was reported to have happened at about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at the 4000 block of U.S. Expressway 77/83 near Morrison Road.
A motorist told Brownsville police that Paz was trying to get him to pull over, Sandoval said. The police dispatchers noticed that none of the police force’s patrol officers were trying to make a traffic stop and asked the driver for the license plate number.
That plate belonged to a Chevrolet Malibu and the Criminal Investigations Unit was able to get the address of owner of the vehicle, Sandoval said.
As the investigators arrived at the suspect’s home, they saw the Malibu pull up to the home and Paz got out of the vehicle, police said. They also noticed red and blue lights on the vehicle’s visor.
Paz was questioned by the investigators and placed under arrest. He was arraigned Wednesday on one count of impersonating a public servant. His bond was set at $10,000.
Sandoval said the police department does not use Chevrolet Malibus and that only vehicles with clear law enforcement identifiable marks are allowed to make traffic stops.
“We (investigators) don’t do traffic stops. That is a big no-no for undercover cars to do traffic stops,” Sandoval said. “We have lights on them in case of emergencies but not to do traffic stops,” he said.
Sandoval said if a driver suspects they are being pulled over by someone who may not be in law enforcement to call 9-1-1 and provide them with a location and describe what is going on. The dispatcher will be able to verify whether it is a legitimate law enforcement agency making the traffic stop.
“Many people might be afraid and say ‘the officer is going to think I don’t want to stop for him.’ Well just let the dispatcher know I am going to stop for him, but I wasn’t sure, that way the dispatcher can tell the officer that the vehicle you are trying to pull over just called us to verify that you are law enforcement. That way the officer doesn’t proceed with an evading charge,” Sandoval said.
