ATLANTA - Atlanta and Cobb County police are working together to determine if two alleged sexual assaults were committed by the same man, a suspect who has been described as impersonating a police officer.
The first assault came around 1 am Friday morning, when the victim, a 25-year-old female, told police she was stopped by a dark-colored vehicle with a blue light bar on the roof. She described the vehicle as a newer-model full-size four-door sedan, but she did not observe any police markings on it.
"The driver of the vehicle approached her car and sexually assaulted her," Atlanta police said.
The victim described the driver as a white male; about 6’ to 6’3” tall; with a slim to athletic build; scruffy brown or black facial hair; and a skull cap. The man was wearing a dark color jacket with a star-shaped badge on it.
The Cobb County incident happened around 4:45 am Friday morning, when a woman driving on Terrell Mill Road near Paper Mill Road was pulled over by a vehicle she thought was a police car, a vehicle with a police-like light bar on top.
Police said the male suspect approached the victim and asked for her driver’s license. While she was reaching for her license, police said the suspect grabbed the victim by her collar and opened her driver door.
"He then began to conduct what she thought was a 'pat down' for her ID," police said. "Instead he began to grope and sexually assault the victim as she sat in her seat. After a brief time he stopped and let her leave the scene."
This suspect is described as a white male about 30 years old; about 6 feet tall; with an average build; short dark brown hair worn in a buzz cut; unshaven; and with a square-shaped head.
Police said he was wearing a dark jacket with a light blue emblem or some other writing on it, a black vest with a star-shaped gold badge on one side and three service bars (gold) on the other. He was also wearing a tan-collared uniform shirt with a gold emblem on the left side of the collar and a white t-shirt under the uniform shirt, with dark pants.
He was also wearing a police duty belt with a gun, Taser, and radio.
Cobb police said the uniform combination does not match any uniform of any law enforcement agency operating in Cobb County, be they county or city.
Cobb police offer the following recommendations to consider when pulling over for an officer who is conducting a traffic stop:
- Pull over in a public area.
- Find a well lit area so the officer can see you and you can see the officer. Turn on your hazard lights, slow down, and find the best location available to pull over.
- You do not have to roll your window all the way down in order to speak to an officer or give an officer your driver’s license and proof of insurance (but the license and proof of insurance are required to be handed over if an officer asks for them).
- You can call 911 and make sure you are being pulled over by an actual officer (if you are unsure due to darkness or the car not being easily recognized as a marked patrol vehicle) while driving slowly with your hazard lights on.
- If you suspect the individual is not an actual officer, call 911 immediately and give your location and a description of the suspect and suspect vehicle if visible. Stay on the phone with the 911 operator until an officer arrives to assist you.
