A man has been charged in a North Vancouver RCMP police impersonation investigation.
North Vancouver resident, Wayne Church, is charged with impersonating a peace officer and using equipment likely to cause the public to believe he was a peace officer contrary to Section 130 of the Criminal Code of Canada, according to a July 18 media release from North Vancouver RCMP. He was charged June 24.
Police responded to a report of a Ford F-150 that had pulled over a Tesla driver in North Vancouver, during which the suspect had allegedly identified himself as a local RCMP officer. Police also alleged the truck displayed lights that resembled that of an emergency vehicle.
Not long after the reported incident, local RCMP arrested Church and he was released with a pending court date.
Investigators suspect there are more victims that had been pulled over by the suspect and police are asking for anyone involved to step forward.
"If something doesn’t feel right during a traffic stop, trust your instincts and take steps to verify the officer’s identity. Your caution could help prevent further incidents and assist in ongoing investigations," North Vancouver RCMP media relations office Cpl. Mansoor Sahak said.
A few simple things you can do to protect yourself if you suspect you're being pulled over by an impersonator is to verify the identification of the officer.
Secondly, you can contact the authorities if you are unsure of the authenticity of the officer you are interacting with.
Lastly, the RCMP suggest you trust your instincts and if you feel something is wrong, the officer will respect your wishes to contact the police before proceeding further.
