November 29, 2015
Philadelphia police are seeking two suspects after witnesses reported a pair of incidents Sunday in which a man and women impersonated police officers and falsely attempted to exert authority over local residents in South Philadelphia.
According to authorities, both incidents occurred early Sunday after police received calls regarding suspicious activity, 6 ABC reports.
One witness, a 23-year-old woman, called police after she was approached by a male and female driving a silver Nissan at 4th and Jackson streets. The suspects allegedly flashed a police badge and summoned the woman over, threatening to arrest her if she resisted their demand.
The woman ran from the scene and the silver Nissan sped off northbound on 5th Street.
The witness described the first suspect as a white man between 30 and 40 years old, 5'5'', bald and clean shaven. He was last seen wearing a gray windbreaker. The second suspect was described as a white female between 25 and 30 years old, 5'5'' and stocky with black hair. She was last seen wearing glasses, black tights, a tank top, and a cardigan.
In a separate incident, police were called by a 21-year-old male victim who said he was stopped while walking along 1600 Passyunk Avenue. The victim said a man stepped out of a gray or silver four-door compact vehicle and identified himself as a police officer.
The suspect then told the victim he matched the description of a wanted drug dealer and ordered him to hand over his ID and wallet. According to police, the suspect removed a medical card and ID and handed them to a female passenger inside the vehicle to check if they matched an alleged suspect. At that point, police say the male suspect frisked the victim and searched his backpack before speeding off down Passyunk Avenue.
When the victim checked his wallet, he found that all of his money had been stolen. The victim described the male suspect as a white male in his 40's, 5'10'' and 180 pounds, with a mustache. The female suspect was described as a white woman weighing at least 200 pounds.
Police were able to recover the vehicle in question on Sunday, but not the impersonators.
Anyone with information on the suspects is asked to contact Philadelphia police.
