ABBOTT, Texas — The Hill County Sheriff's Office is investigating reports of someone impersonating an officer after a Baylor University student says she was pulled over in Abbott, Texas.
The Baylor student does not want to be identified for her safety but knows it's important to get the message out to save others.
She tells 6 News she was heading north on I-35 in Abbott, Texas on Friday when flashing lights appeared in her mirrors. She thought she could be getting pulled over for expired tags but the man said it was for speeding.
The woman says she believes she was going at least 10 mph under the speed limit due to traffic. She knew something wasn't right.
"He asked for my license and my registration and I told him that I wasn't really comfortable," she said. "It was kind of just the whole situation seemed very off, he seemed kind of frantic."
She says there were many tell-tale signs something was off like the man approaching her on the driver side, not wearing a bullet proof vest or a traditional uniform and his badge being oddly shaped and unconnected to a department.
"It was obvious that he was not a police officer."
She called 9-1-1 and they said they had no officers in the area.
So, she told 6 News she did what she was taught to do asked for a badge number, but the man wouldn't give her one.
Then things got scary.
"At that point he tried to open my car door," she explained. "He was yelling at me, being extremely rude and I said basically like stop, please get away."
Eventually the man fled the scene quickly, fleeing across a grassy median to the frontage road.
Sergeant Kevin Hughes with Hill County's Criminal Investigation unit says the woman did everything right.
"In her challenging him at that point in time, it led him to know that she was smart, she was going to remain calm and that she was probably going to be calling 911 in a matter of moments," he said.
The Hill County Sherriff's Office says the person they're looking for is a Hispanic man, around 5'10, 220 pounds and was driving a black Tahoe 2018 or later.
Hughes says this is only the second report they've had in the last couple of years, but impersonators are out there and one way you can identify them is by their lights.
"Most of the time they just have one or two or maybe three small lights and a true police agency is going to spend the money and that thing has gotten a lot of like a neon sign," Hughes explained.
In a day and age where police cars are getting harder to point out, with lights no longer on top of the cars, and also many switching to an unmarked look or low profile, Hughes said it's important to familiarize yourself with local law enforcement vehicles.
He also says if you're ever in this situation, put your hazards on, call dispatch, ask the officer for the identification numbers and drive to a more populated area.
"Where there's plenty of people, plenty of light, plenty of witnesses, and plenty of help available if something were to go wrong at that point," he said.
And always remain calm, just like the Baylor student did.
"It was very scary," she recalled. "I think people do need to know what to do in this situation because even I, somebody who does know what to do, I was still kind of like in that moment thinking I don't know what to do."
She says know your rights of a traffic stop and also know the tell-tale signs.
Hill County Sheriff's Office says they had another case of someone impersonating an officer back in 2020 and there are some similarities to this case. They are comparing notes to see if they're related.
If you know who this person is or if you've also been a victim, call the Hill County Sheriff's Office.
Impersonating an officer is a felony to the third degree and anyone convicted can face up to ten years in prison, as well as a $10,000 fine.