BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard spoke with Local 4 about the traffic stop involving a police impersonator, including a closer look at the car and what the sheriff did to investigate.
Bouchard said he often pulls drivers over, but Thursday’s traffic stop was one to remember. He was on Telegraph Road in Bloomfield Township when a Ford Police Interceptor caught his eye.
The Ford looked like a Bloomfield Township police car, but when Bouchard got a closer look, it was clear something was off. He said the SUV was outfitted bumper-to-bumper as a police car, with no department marked on it.
He said the plate came back to a civilian. Bouchard launched his own investigation.
“I’m going to stop the car,” Bouchard said.
That’s when the driver and the sheriff had the well-known exchange.
“I’m the sheriff. Who are you?” Bouchard asked.
The driver is a mechanic. He’s a Waterford Township resident in his 20s, police said.
The man is being held for having a loaded handgun without a concealed carry permit.
Investigators said the man bought a used police SUV in Ohio, and they believe he keeps adding lights and police details to the vehicle.
Now, real deputies are asking the public if anyone has been pulled over by the impostor. Anyone who has been pulled over the impostor or has seen it happen is asked to call the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office at 248-858-4951.
Bouchard said he made three traffic spots this week, mostly for dangerous driving.