Police Impersonator Who Exposed Self Sought By Tampa Detectives

TAMPA, FL — Tampa police detectives are trying to identify and arrest a man impersonating a police officer who exposed himself to a woman.

According to detectives, on the night of Feb. 22, the man was caught on video displaying a badge to the woman at the Ramada Inn at 1300 N Westshore Blvd. before pulling her into a stairwell and exposing himself to her.

The woman, who was not injured, pushed the man away from her before running to safety.

Surveillance video shows the man coming out of a stairwell in the lobby of the hotel immediately after the incident and then walking north to the property next door.

The man is white or Hispanic with a possible Cuban accent. He appears to be in his 30s, 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall with a muscular build and some facial hair.

He can be seen in the video wearing a long-sleeved pink shirt and blue jeans.

"Our investigators will work tirelessly to apprehend the suspect in this case before he can victimize anyone else," said Interim Police Chief Lee Bercaw."It is a felony to impersonate a police officer and we take any report of this happening very seriously. Our community can always ask a Tampa police officer for identifying information and then call our non-emergency line to confirm the information provided if they believe the person may be impersonating an officer."

While police impersonation is rare, here are some tips to keep safe:

• If you believe someone is impersonating a law enforcement officer, ask for a name, a badge number and to see his identification.
• Do not be afraid to tell the suspected impersonator that you intend to call the dispatch center (non-emergency line in Tampa at 813-231-6130) to verify the officer's identity.
• Call 911 if you believe the person is posing as a law dnforcement pfficer.
• Trust your instincts. If you suspect the person pulling you over is impersonating a police officer, look for a safe place to pull over, signal your intent and slow down (activate your hazard lights).
• Call 911 to confirm it is an officer and provide the call-taker with your location, vehicle description and license plate number.
• Keep your doors locked while the dispatcher checks the information you provided.
• Ask the officer for his name and badge number and confirm the information with 911.