Montgomery County Police are searching for two men who impersonated law enforcement officers as a means of robbing a pair of taxi drivers.
The incidents occurred just before midnight Monday in the Long Branch area of Silver Spring, according to police spokeswoman Cpl. Sonia Pruitt.
There, the men, in a late 1990s gold Ford Crown Victoria, followed a cab from downtown Silver Spring at about 11:45 p.m. and then tried to get the driver to pull over by flashing red and blue lights at the taxi.
When the taxi driver stopped his vehicle, the Victoria passenger got out and pointed a handgun at him while demanding money, Cpl. Pruitt said.
After committing that robbery, the men reportedly made a U turn and stopped a second cab using the same technique. That time, the passenger obtained money from the taxi driver as well as the customer inside the cab.
The robbers are said to be black males in their mid-20s, with the driver of the Victoria standing at 6 feet tall and the passenger an inch shorter. Descriptions of their clothing were unavailable but the victims said they were not in police uniforms, nor did they show any police IDs.
Officials have warned residents to be wary of these types of frauds but also to know that they are difficult to spot.
“It’s such a split-second thing,” she added. “It’s also hard to ask for ID if their intention is to rob you.”
Montgomery County Police Officers also are within their rights to pull over cars when they’re in unmarked cars or in plain clothes. Cpl. Pruitt said police out of uniform will usually wear a badge around their neck.
She also suggests that when a driver’s unsure whether the patrol car pursuing them is legitimate, drive to a nearby police station and pull over there.
“If someone’s just pullingyou over to rob you, chances are they won’t do it there,” Cpl. Pruitt said.
Troubleshooting tips
What to do if you suspect something’s not right during a traffic stop:
> only pull over if the car has flashing lights or sirens; yet just because a car is equipped with these devices does not mean the officer is a real one
> pull over in a well-lit area or at a nearby police station
> realize that Montgomery County officers not in uniform generally wear their badges on chains around their necks
> ask to see ID
