NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A suspect is accused of pretending to be a New Orleans police officer to pull a car over using red and blue flashing lights before stealing the driver’s handgun, according to authorities.
Two men, whose identities were not immediately known, pulled the car over in an SUV at around 11:45 p.m. Monday with what appeared to be emergency lights mounted on the dashboard, New Orleans police said.
One of the suspects was wearing a face mask and jacket with New Orleans police badges when he approached the stopped driver, asked for a license then asked whether the motorist had weapons in the vehicle, investigators said. The driver handed over a gun, and the suspects sped off with it, according to police.
A similar encounter was reported early Tuesday less than 5 miles (8 kilometers) away, officials said. During that stop, an SUV pulled in front of a 31-year-old man’s car, and three armed suspects got out, identified themselves as New Orleans police officers then robbed them, the agency said.
Authorities were asking anyone with information to contact police. The investigation remained ongoing Tuesday and no suspect information or charges were released.
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