If you’ve ever wondered who would steal an old Ford Crown Victoria, the answer surprisingly is sometimes police impersonators. Or at least in this case out of Sacramento County, California it apparently is. The sheriff’s office there busted a guy in a stolen Crown Vic only to realize he was allegedly posing as a cop.
A real cop was caught posing as a US Marshal.
According to Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, deputies spotted the Ford that had been reported as stolen on the night of February 24. When they tried pulling the car over, the driver, later identified as 36-year-old Anthony Whitley, led them on a high-speed chase for about 15 minutes.
We’re sure catching and pitting the Crown Vic wasn’t easy since, as we’ve highlighted before, it’s a legendary police car for good reason. Still, deputies did just that and Whitley bailed, running away on foot.
Thankfully, a K9 named Philbert made short work of chasing down and apprehending Whitley. With im in custody, deputies began searching the recovered Crown Vic. Far too often, law enforcement find drugs and guns, plus maybe some cash, in stolen cars.
They did report finding a loaded shotgun, which it and the shells look a little janky. Also found in the car was an “imitation” handgun, which we assume means it was either an airsoft modified to look like the real thing or something like that.
This Whitley guy apparently couldn’t buy a cheap Crown Vic, a real handgun, or a decent shotgun. That’s pretty interesting.
But the real kicker is when they found multiple items of Sheriff’s Department uniforms and clothing with the department insignia, plus a few badges. That’s when deputies realized they were dealing with a possible police impersonator case.
People who dress up like cops and drive cars often associated with police, like a white Crown Vic, can sometimes use that getup to fool victims. The concern the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office has is that Whitley victimized people who thought he was a cop. They’re asking anyone who was a victim of this man or might have been contacted by him to call investigators at (916) 874-5115 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at (916) 443-HELP (4357).
Images via Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office
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