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A woman's drive home from a concert was interrupted by a police impersonator flashing red lights on their Mercedes-Benz who attempted to pull her over.
Ashley Smith recounted the bizarre incident in a viral TikTok post that amassed nearly 252,000 views and over 41,000 likes.
In the video, Smith described a Mercedes that started flashing its lights like a police car after Smith honked at the driver for swerving in the middle of the road. A brief clip of the car is shown at the beginning of the viral TikTok.
Smith said that the woman driving the supposed cop car indicated she was going to pull her over, but instead just drove away. She believed the other driver was "impersonating a cop," and began following her since they were going in the same direction.
The woman eventually asked Smith if "[they] have a problem?" and went on to further claim that she is "a cop," and that "she can call 911 right now."
Smith was doubtful of this declaration since the woman in the Mercedes had "her friends in the car," which she thought was "sketch."
One person in the video's comments said, "Yes many cops do this. I was on empty high way and did a real hard pull from 50-160 mph and cop came light his light and turn it off again."
But Smith still had her doubts and responded to the commenter, saying, "In this instance I don't believe they were really a cop! Her lights didn't look real." She added that she had reported the incident to the police, who "seem to be taking this instance pretty seriously."
The Anne Arundel County Police Department confirmed that "Northern District detectives are investigating the incident and ask that anyone with information contact them at (410) 222-6135 or the Anne Arundel County Police Tip-Line at (410) 222-4700."
Smith has since posted updates in the comments on her TikTok video, saying she has been contacted by the police department to identify a suspect and that she'll do a second video about the ordeal "soon."
If you suspect that you're being pulled over by someone impersonating a police officer, the Boulder Police Department advises picking a well-lit public area to do so. Or, if you're in a remote location, call 911 immediately.
Similarly, another incident was recorded by a Baylor University student who said she was pulled over by a cop impersenator in an unmarked car. She suspected something was wrong after noticing that he wasn't wearing a uniform and had an oddly shaped badge.
She called 911, and an operator informed her that there were no officers in the area making a traffic stop. When she informed the man, who had gotten aggressive when she wouldn't give him her license and registration, that she had called 911, he fled the scene.
