CLEVELAND — Cleveland Police are investigating several robberies involving suspects impersonating officers by displaying emergency-type lights on their vehicles, pulling victims over and robbing them at gunpoint, prompting the division to urge residents to be vigilant on the roads.
There have been five incidents since March 7, the latest occurring Sunday evening. The location of the crime, suspect vehicle and time of day vary from incident to incident, but in every instance, the suspect had a private, unmarked vehicle and shined blue and/or red flashing lights.
March 7- 2:20 a.m.
A man driving west on state Route 2 near the West 45th exit observed blue and red lights coming from a vehicle behind him and he immediately pulled over, according to a police report.
The man told police an individual stepped outside of the vehicle with a gun in their hand and a flashlight in the other, directing him to "put your hands out the window," "cut the car off," "step out of the vehicle" and "back up with your hands above your head" before grabbing him and searching his pockets. At the point the man reported three more individuals all wearing black ski masks exited the vehicle and appeared to search his vehicle yelling things like "where's the drugs at?" and "Where's the money at?"
After directing the man to walk off, one of the individuals reportedly entered the man's vehicle and fled while the others fled in the vehicle impersonating law enforcement, which is possibly a dark-colored Honda Accord.
March 28- 9:30 a.m.
A man who told police he was buying cell phones from an individual in the area of East 152nd Street and Lakeshore Avenue reported being robbed at gunpoint by individuals impersonating law enforcement.
While in the backseat of the person he was trying to buy the phone, who was wearing a mask, the man realized there were no phones and at that point, a burgundy Jeep with what appeared to be flashing police lights pulled up to the vehicle and boxed them in. The man believed the vehicle was an unmarked police vehicle and the man he believed he was buying phones from pointed a gun at him.
The man told police he ran out of the vehicle and in the. process dropped his car keys. When he realized, he saw the individuals from the incident driving away with his car.
March 31- 11 p.m.
A man and woman were traveling in the 3200 block of West 65th Street when they observed a large black Volkswagen SUV with apparent red and blue lights resembling those of police vehicles. The man driving pulled over and the driver of the SUV told them to put their hands out of the window where they could see them and they complied.
The two told police that four individuals wearing all black, ski masks, hoodies and ballistic vests with firearms—believed to be a 9mm, AK-47, shotgun and a DRACO—exited the SUV and pulled the two from the vehicle. The individuals searched the two victims while pointing a gun at the back of the man's head. The individuals took the man's watch and cell phone, asked for his ID, which was in his vehicle, and proceeded to search and take it. The woman was robbed of $1,000 in birthday money she had and her ID.
During the incident, the individuals yelled things such as "Code Blue!" and "Send backup!" The individuals then got back into the SUV and drove away.
April 1- 3 a.m.
A man driving west on Clark Avenue saw a vehicle following him along he route when in the 3000 block of West 48th Street the vehicle activated blue flashing lights. The man, thinking it was a police car, pulled over.
The man then saw the vehicle he believed to be a Kia Sportage or Sorento and three individuals exit it wearing ski masks and holding guns, some that had mounted lights.
The man, who told police he is a valid CCW license holder, attempted to draw his firearm, but was unable to before they pointed their weapons at him. The individuals then instructed the man to exit his vehicle and lay face down on the ground. The individuals took his firearm and two entered his vehicle before fleeing the scene in both vehicles.
According to the police report, the man had another firearm in his glove compartment, as well as his wallet, ID and cell phones. While investigating the report, police found the man's vehicle parked in the middle of the street, with the firearm in the glove compartment still there.
April 3- 6:20 p.m.
A man driving in the area of Broadway and Blanche Avenues was followed by what is believed to be a black Dodge Durango, with a black Jeep Cherokee also believed to be involved, that flashed lights resembling those of law enforcement in an attempt to pull the man over.
The man told police the individual brandished a firearm and was wearing a ballistic vest, so the man called 9-1-1 and remained on the line with dispatch as he drove to the Third District police station.
While driving to the station, the vehicle impersonating law enforcement went in another direction.
Police urge vigilance
Police believe their are four individuals, teenage males, committing the crimes.
News 5 spoke with Public Information Officer, Sergeant Jennifer Ciaccia with the Cleveland Police and she implored pedestrians to remain safe.
"If you are pulled over by an unmarked vehicle and you feel unsafe, you do have every right to go ahead and call 911. And our dispatchers would be able to tell you if that is Cleveland police that you're out with."
Cleveland police told News 5 that the entire division is aware of the trend in crimes and is aware of the recommendation to call dispatch during suspicious attempted traffic stops.
Ward 8 Councilman and chairman of the council safety committee Michael D. Polensek shared his concerns about the crimes and what it could mean for the response in the city.
"I ask myself, I grew up in the streets on the East Side here, 'What's the motivation? What's prompting you to do this?' The carjackings, the rivalries, the assaults that we're seeing with this, age is getting lower and lower. I don't understand it myself," Polensek said. "Anyone watching it, the news reports, and they're stopped, they're going to think 'should I just take off, should I leave? And then police officers in the situation about pursuing."
Polensek, like many, hope that the individuals are quickly apprehended and this trend in crimes impersonating officers soon ends.
"We can't be afraid to patronize our downtown or our commercial districts or our neighborhoods," he said. "We cannot live in fear. We've got to make it clear—in fact, we should turn the tables, the criminals should be living in fear in this city and they're not."
Anyone with information regarding these incidents is asked to call 911. Anonymous information can be provided by calling Crimestoppers at 216-25-CRIME (216-252-7463).
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