One Jailed, Others Sought For Impersonating Police Officers During Fake Traffic Stops On I-90 Near Vantage

One person is in jail and police are asking for the public's assistance in locating additional suspects connected to a string of incidents involving civilians impersonating law enforcement officers in Central Washington earlier this month.

The Kittitas County Sheriff's Office says most, if not all, of the known instances occurred on July 3 when numerous callers to 9-1-1 reported that a black SUV outfitted with emergency lights and other police equipment was pulling over vehicles in the westbound lanes of Interstate-90 in neighboring Grant County near the Vantage Bridge (Medal of Honor Bridge).

Investigators say a second black SUV was possibly accompanying the first, and that both featured male drivers who witnesses said were impersonating police officers.

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Deputies later located one of the SUVs in the Ellensburg area and arrested the driver, a 20-year-old Spokane man whose name was not released and could not be attached to any recent jail records.

Sheriff's officials say the man was subsequently booked (presumably into the Kittitas County Jail) for suspicion of impersonating a law enforcement official.

Detectives are still searching for the other SUV, which was reportedly equipped with a police-style push bar on the front grill and may have also had emergency lights inside or near the headlights and an interior light bar attached to its rear window.

Anyone who might have seen a vehicle matching this description or who was pulled over by someone they suspect was not an actual law enforcement officer on or leading up to the date in question in the same area is being asked to contact the Kittitas County Sheriff's Office immediately at 509-925-8534 and ask for Deputy Logan Nicholson with reference to case #S26-09547.