The ‘Fake’ Cops Robbing Detroit Citizens Are Actually Real Cops

Detroit is going through tough times, with its recent bankruptcy and skepticism to cash in on its gloomy real estate market. Now it seems as though citizens need to be worried about its law enforcement, too.

Just a few days ago, the Detroit police sent out warnings about fake cops pulling over drivers and then robbing them. FOX News in Detroit wrote, “There have been at least two reports of men posing as police officers and robbing unsuspecting drivers at gunpoint. These men have police badges, bulletproof vests, and guns. They look very official and they are armed and dangerous.”

Police advised citizens that they had a right not to stop for “police” in suspicious-looking unmarked cars and instead, to call a dispatcher and confirm its location and validity, or go to the nearest precinct.

One man claimed that he was pulled over by three supposed police officers in an unmarked Crown Victoria (a vehicle commonly used by law enforcement) and while two men searched him, another went into his car and stole his wallet and CDs. Another robbery was at a Citgo gas station, where allegedly fake cops pistol-whipped customers pumping gas and took their cash and cell phones.

However, during this gas-station raid, the policemen were photographed by nearby drivers, and Fox 2 in Detroit aired the photos that week.

Several unidentified police officers were working this particular robbery case, recognized one of the suspects in the photographs as being a member of the Detroit Police Department,” Detroit Police Chief James Craig told the station on Monday. “In fact, they were police officers, just not working on-duty at the time.”

Two police sergeants are currently under arrest, according to Fox 2. One is a 47-year-old officer and 20-year veteran of the Detroit Police Department and the other is his 42-year-old buddy from the police academy—a former DPD cop and 17-year veteran of the St. Clair Shores Police Department, who was identified by one victim in a lineup.

At this time, there is no evidence to support that both sergeants were involved in any other police impersonation cases that have been reported in recent weeks,” Craig said. “Know that if we have officers engaging in criminal misconduct that we will investigate. We will always be transparent about this business and making sure that our community is aware of how we’re conducting our investigations.”

Todd Flood, attorney for the St. Clair Shores sergeant says that the crime is not what it looks like, and that a different story will be playing out over the next few weeks as more details are revealed.

These are two highly decorated police officers,” said Flood. “They’re not rogue cops. They’re not cops out on the street trying to take down innocent people.”

According to the attorney, the alleged victims of the theft are not as innocent as they appear, and the sergeants were attempting to recover a cell phone stolen from the St. Clair Shores sergeant’s teenage daughter.

This is a situation where there’s more to it than what meets the eye or what’s being reported,” Flood added.