East Lansing Police Searching For Armed Man Posing As Cop

EAST LANSING (WWJ) - Authorities in East Lansing are looking for tips to identify and locate a suspected police impersonator.

On Tuesday, police say, a citizen reported that he was walking near the Saginaw-Hagadorn intersection at around 5:20 p.m. when he was stopped by a man dressed as a police officer, and questioned as to why he was in the area.

The suspected impersonator quickly left the area after noticing that he was being videotaped by a third party. There was never any physical contact between the two, police said.

The suspect is described as a white male in his late 20s to mid 30s, around 6 feet tall with green eyes, close-cut brown hair and a small birth mark or scar on his right cheek.

At the time of the incident, the suspect was wearing a royal blue police-style uniform with a dark stripe down the pant leg and a red and blue patch with a gold shield on the sleeves. The suspect was armed with a handgun holstered on his left side.

The suspect was driving a white Ford Taurus or similar car with overhead lights and the words "police" and "Lansing" on the side.

East Lansing police say investigators have determined the suspect was not a cop, and they're hoping someone in the public can help them to identify the impostor.

"ELPD investigators would like to speak to the two individuals that potentially videotaped this encounter in hopes of identifying the suspect, said ELPD Lt. Steve Gonzalez, in a statement.  "We are also asking anyone else with further information about this incident or a related incident to contact us."

Tipsters are asked to call the ELPD Detective Bureau at 517-319-6884.