The California Highway Patrol–Contra Costa County confirmed Saturday that a Facebook post alleging a female was being followed by a “fake” police officer on Vasco Road could not be verified.
According to CHP–Contra Costa, issued a statement saying the veracity of this particular incident cannot be verified, however, they said they will continue to investigate this allegation. They also stated that while they are aware of the social media post, they noted in recent years its been posted in various incarnations.
They further stated that if there was a call, the California Highway Patrol was not involved in this alleged incident and that the CHP – Golden Gate Communications Center did not receive a 9-1-1 call pertaining to this alleged incident.
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According to the female who made the post, which then went viral across social media, claimed she was on Vasco Road in the middle of the night when she saw flashing police lights behind her when she called 9-1-1 to confirm it was in fact a police vehicle. She said the dispatcher told her no police vehicle were trying to pull her over. She then said she was passing an officer who got behind a vehicle and pulled him over.
She then claimed six more cops came and took the vehicle behind her at gunpoint where three men getting out of the vehicle being thrown to the ground and was told they were not police officers.
She then stated an officer told her what she did was very smart as the officer told her its been used as a plot to target young women driving alone on dark roads to either rape, kidnap, or rob them.
Back in July, the Livermore Police Department announced they were investigating two separate reports of a possible police impersonator. In one instance, a woman was followed all the way to Tracy. Livermore Police said at the time, if anyone believes they are being followed by a police impersonator, they should call 911.
Per CHP, they also provided this information:
Drivers are reminded that per The California Vehicle Code (CVC) 21806 – “Upon the immediate approach of an authorized emergency vehicle which is sounding a siren and which has at least one lighted lamp exhibiting red light that is visible, under normal atmospheric conditions, from a distance of 1,000 feet to the front of the vehicle, the surrounding traffic shall, except as otherwise directed by a traffic officer, do the following: (a) (1) Except as required under paragraph (2), the driver of every other vehicle shall yield the right-of-way and shall immediately drive to the right-hand edge or curb of the highway, clear of any intersection, and thereupon shall stop and remain stopped until the authorized emergency vehicle has passed. (2) A person driving a vehicle in an exclusive or preferential use lane shall exit that lane immediately upon determining that the exit can be accomplished with reasonable safety. (b) The operator of every street car shall immediately stop the street car, clear of any intersection, and remain stopped until the authorized emergency vehicle has passed. (c) All pedestrians upon the highway shall proceed to the nearest curb or place of safety and remain there until the authorized emergency vehicle has passed. Amended Sec. 68, Ch. 1154, Stats. 1996. Effective September 30, 1996.” If a driver becomes suspicious that the vehicle pulling them over is not an authorized emergency vehicle or that the person pulling them over is not authorized emergency personnel, they may call 9-1-1 and advise the dispatcher of the situation.
