A man was detained Saturday morning by the Washington State Patrol for impersonating a law enforcement officer.

A trooper observed the vehicle, a blacked-out Ford Explorer, driving at 80 miles per hour at 6:24 a.m. on Saturday morning on state Route 8 near Elma, said Trooper Katherine Weatherwax in an email.

“In the back window you are able to see what appears to be affixed emergency lights,” Weatherwax said. “When the trooper ran the registration it did not return to a police agency and had prior police impersonator involvement, so the trooper stopped the vehicle.”

The driver, a man whose name was not released, was not in uniform and did not have any police identification, Weatherwax said. The driver was detained and released on site, and advised to disconnect the emergency lights in the vehicle, which were functional, Weatherwax said. Police impersonator vehicles aren’t common, Weatherwax said.

“We do not see this too much out here,” Weatherwax said. “There are prior police vehicles that are sold. They can have the front spotlight, but they cannot have the red and blue lights on the vehicle.”

Charges have been forwarded to the county prosecutor’s officer, Weatherwax said.

Anyone who suspects they’re being contacted by someone impersonating a police officer should call 911, Weatherwax said. The charge for impersonating a police officer in Washington is second-degree criminal impersonation, a gross misdemeanor, and can carry a sentence of up to a year in jail.

“All law enforcement should have their name, badge and a uniform on when they are doing a traffic stop. In a scenario where you may suspect an impersonator, call 911,” Weatherwax said. “They will be able to tell you if they are an officer and they can also see the locations of all officers.”

Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.