CLARKESVILLE — Habersham County Sheriff Joey Terrell took to social media Tuesday afternoon to alert residents to a possible officer impersonator.
“I want to inform everyone that they need to be ever cautious because an unknown male subject is driving around in a black Dodge Charger attempting to pull people over by flashing the car’s headlights,” Terrell’s post reads. “All of my deputies’ vehicles have blue lights even if the cars are not marked. The black Dodge that is attempting to do this is not marked. The driver is a white male in his mid to late 50’s with salt and pepper hair and a gray or white goatee.”
Terrell said if someone is flashing their headlights and trying to get a driver to pull over, they should not stop. Instead, they should turn on their emergency flashers, dial 9-1-1 and keep dispatchers informed of their location.
Speaking with AccessWDUN Tuesday afternoon, Terrell said the problem is not limited to just Habersham County. He said Hart County has experienced similar incidents.
“It’s happening all over,” Terrell said. “If you see this happening or if it happens to you, please call 9-1-1 to report it.”
Terrell said it is out of the norm for his deputies to utilize unmarked cars for traffic stops.
“The sheriff’s office does not routinely work traffic with unmarked vehicles,” Terrell told AccessWDUN. “There are a few of us that have them and if we see a violation we might stop a vehicle, but you’re going to know it’s a law enforcement vehicle because it’s going to have plenty of blue lights on it.”
Still, Terrell understands people are concerned about stopping for an unmarked vehicle they are not sure is a law enforcement officer, especially in a rural area or at night.
“Even if the car has blue lights, you are free to call 9-1-1 and ask if the vehicle behind you is indeed an officer,” Terrell said. “And at night, they can always drive to a lighted area.”
Terrell reminds drivers they can use their phone legally to make an emergency telephone call to 9-1-1 while driving.
