Man wanted for pretending to be Wilmington police officer, detaining woman

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Wilmington police need your help finding a man accused of pretending to be an officer and detaining a woman Sunday.

Around 2:30 p.m., WPD received a report that a man impersonating a police officer had stopped and detained a woman earlier in the day.

The victim told officers she was walking on Montgomery Avenue when an all-black Dodge Charger SRT with tinted windows pulled up beside her and the driver began talking to her. He was wearing a ballistic vest with “POLICE” on the front and told her he was investigating a robbery at 31st and Market Street.

Police say when the victim refused to provide her personal information and asked for his badge number, the suspect got out of the car, handcuffed her, gathered her personal information, un-cuffed her, and left the area.

The woman was not hurt.

WPD says the suspect is described as a black male, 5’7 and 200-216 pounds, with a brush cut hair style. He was wearing a white tee shirt and jeans at the time of the incident, along with the police vest.

If you see him, call 911. All other information should be reported to the Wilmington Police Department at (910) 343-3609 or through the Wilmington, NC PD app.