Fake cop follows woman to work, pulls out handgun
OREGON CITY, Ore. - Police are searching for a man who tailed a woman and harassed her, claiming he was with the sheriff's office.
It all started around 5:30 a.m. Sunday when a woman was driving to her work at a rest home in Oregon City. She was headed there from Estacada.
When she reached the intersection of Highway 211 and Highway 213, she noticed a pickup truck parked in a median, like an officer would do if they were using radar to catch speeders.
She told police the truck's driver pulled out and following her closely with the bright headlights on. She pulled over and the truck passed her, but it wasn't long until she saw the same truck pulled over on the side of the road and once again the driver pulled out behind her.
The woman continued on, but said when she pulled into work, the truck followed her in. She said once she got out of her vehicle, a man got out of the truck.
The woman told police that the man claimed he was with the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office. She said he told her he was doing a survey on people's safety and that she had done well, but was driving too fast.
The woman was highly suspicious and when the man pulled out a handgun, she ran for the front door of her work. She told police she heard a click as she was running.
She was shaken over what happened and was unable to provide a good description of the suspect for a sketch artist. The man was a white male about six feet tall and he was driving a small pickup truck that was either black or red.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Oregon City Police Department.
This version corrects the day from Thursday to Sunday morning.
Please remember some people get frightened and do not react as they should. While it may be a bogus story, the fact that she has no identifying information does not mean it did not happen. Except for the truck either being red or black.. Quite a noticeable difference there.
Many years ago, on Memorial Day, my mom and I drove up to Willamette Cemetary to visit a family member who was buried there. We had come out of Mt Scott Cemetary after dropping by there first. The road separating these two cemetaries is tricky to navigate and you have to watch closely. But I made it across, and we drove into the cemetary toward the area where our family member was. There weren't that many people there, surprisingly, and the few there were scattered among other, more distant, areas. Out of nowhere a blue, older, unkempt sedan pulled up behind us (the little roads thru the cemetary are really narrow), and this equally unkempt, middle-aged guy came out and said he was a police officer (he wasn't in uniform so I assumed off-duty?) and I had made an illegal move, pulling out right in front of him as I came from the other cemetary. Totally untrue because there wasn't any traffic around us. He proceeded to lecture me about safe driving and just as I was about to ask to see his badge, two other cars came into our area and the place began filling up. He turned and saw them coming and he just walked back to his car and drove off. Mom looked at me and said..."I think we got lucky..." This was in Clackamas county too...and no...didn't get a plate number...but we did leave, and was glad to do so :(
If you find yourself being followed, call the police on your cell phone and keep driving!!!! Â Tell the dispatcher which street you are on, when you make your turns, how fast you are driving, when you change lanes.... all the tiny details will be captured in the 911 recording. Â All that detail will prove that the person following you is NOT acting in a random manner, and that primes the police to take an active role. Â
do NOT simply drive to your work and get out of your car! Â doing so leaves you vulnerable and the person tailing you will simply be emboldened by your lack of response, they will see your exiting of your vehicle as a "perfect opportunity" to do what ever they have in mind. Â Call the cops, drive to the police station, let the dispatcher guide you to a police cruiser - but DO SOMETHING other than just "get out of the car!"
Someone wasn't thinking. I would have taken several turns on different streets to make sure I was being followed, then I would have called 911 immediately.
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@feral Your mom's on the phone she said she is gonna kick your azzÂ
People who imitate or misrepresent themselves as police officers should have their eventual sentences multiplied at least twice. Fakes should not be sentenced to the same sentence as the usual pukes!
Fake story about fake cop with fake gun. Fake response, "Oh my gosh, poor woman!"
A truck is following her and she doesn't start making mental notes like the LICENSE PALTE, the COLOR, and other IDENTIFYING features?
@RalphCramden Yeah, sounds pretty.......sketchy, if you ask me.
@Sundowner
I would be calling police if someone was following me like that. Plus I would have taken a picture of the truck with my cell phone.
I'm with you. Sounds fishy.
@Sundowner @RalphCramden The 'follow-up' may be a woman being assaulted.
@Sundowner
Some males are catching on to those false stories now.
I agree that some followup would be nice.
@RalphCramden Yeah, there's just something not right -- reminds me of those stories females have been known to make up to cover something else.  I hope there's a follow-up.
WHY did she get out of the car? If I ever think I'm being followed (same vehicle behind me for a long time, making all the same turns I am) I would either keep on going to a safe place or at a minimum stay in the car with the doors locked until they go another direction. Can always call for help if need be. Might be a little paranoid but as a woman driving at night you gotta be.
Usual suspects, paw through missives here and find your gun guy? by the tone here perhaps so.Â
?????
Ma'am, next time drive to a donut shop and find a real cop there.
Katu why was my comment deleted??? All I said was that I think the whole thing is fake...it doesn't make any sense...and you censor me???????????? Do you really expect people to read your news online when they get censored ??? There's plenty of other stations I can read...and yes, I think the whole thing is a hoax
Yup, we'll find him immediately with that great vehicle description
Too bad she was not more paranoid and knew from the beginning that somebody was following her. Oh wait just because you are paranoid does not mean nobody is following you. Dang what a conundrum
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@harringtonC9002Â This is you?
Why don't you clear it up for us? What *did* happen? Inquiring minds!
@WhenCowsAttack @harringtonC9002 Harrington comment deleted can you shed some light on what was said? I am curious what gets you deleted?
@WhenCowsAttack @Bert I think there might have been some issues with the KATU site for a bit, not too sure.  But don't worry Bert -- between you, me and fresh, we're still safe here!  I'm busy 'elsewhere' trying to get two idiots off my tail.
@Bert @WhenCowsAttack @harringtonC9002 Â
She said that she never did an interview with this station and that the facts were pulled from other stories and twisted and wrong.
In a nutshell :-)
Just so you know... "Bright" headlights aren't any more "bright" than the regular low beams. Â What makes them appear "bright" is that they are directed up into your eyes.
duh duh da duh... the more you know... (star streaking across screen)
This public service announcement brought to you by A74R1.
A74R1, we know vehicle light emission devices.
@JTesla Oh, heck.  If we're doing PSA's, here's mine:  If you live in Central Oregon, this morning's snow should tell you not to hit Les Schwab yet to get those road-damaging studded tires off.  =)
@Gunzun Roses No.  No.  Already did.  Hate the water.
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@Pazzo1Â Balloon boy? Â =)
@Sundowner ...or attic boy
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@Gunzun Roses OMG -- I did NOT know that.  Those dang gays and their agenda....must've gotten to him (it's contagious, don't ya know?).  Next thing you'll tell me is that his dad isn't religious and joined a union. Â
@Pazzo1Â You know, that crossed my mind too, but I'll reserve judgement for now.
Can't believe my comment was deleted all I said is that I think the story is made up..a hoax and I get deleted..wowwwwwwww
maybe you're right, but I have a hard time believing the story...all that was missing was the acid in the face..
@Pazzo1Â I said similar...we'll see, won't we?
@Pazzo1 Maybe the one who was commenting here saying she was the victim complained about it?
It's the only thing that makes sense.
I cant understand how all this happens and she cant get a licence plate, description, color of the truck or anything. People need to be more aware of their surroundings. Yes I understand she was scared but try to get something to help catch the guy. I wonder if she packed a pistol how this might have been a different story...
@Richard Goezinyah If I see a shady guy in a truck following me, all the way from the highway right into my work's parking lot, my first instinct is to either quickly drive away (to a police station or very public area) or dial for help in my car, with the doors and windows all locked. Getting out of the car as if nothing's wrong is really the ONLY thing you shouldn't do.
@Richard Goezinyah Yeah it would be different, she'd be dead.
@JTesla Well I make the assumption packing a gun = knowing how to use a gun, and if she heard a click maybe his gun didnt fire, and hers would have. Turning your back and running away saved her? Or luck saved her. Probably the luck. You put your life in lucks hands, I'll put mine in Rugers.
@pdxd @EdgarDerby @Pazzo1 OK, there you hit on what causes me to doubt.  The guy is following her, long enough that it bothers her and she pulls over.  I'd have my eyes on my rearview mirror once I got suspicious, right?  So he passes by and goes on....then she spots him in the mediun (if it's 'dark', wouldn't her lights flash on his truck?)...then he follows her all the way to her work.  And she hasn't figured out what color his vehicle is? I'm calling BS.
@EdgarDerby or remember if the vehicle is red or black.
@EdgarDerby @JTesla I think I'm losing faith in this woman's story.  We need to bring in a licenced Smell Test Administor and give her the old one-two. Â
@EdgarDerby @JTesla I agree the whole story seems hard to believe. Someone follows you twice and no cell phone call to police , and like you say why wouldnt you go to a populated place. I wonder if her face is scared from a previous acid attack?
@EdgarDerby @JTesla Alledgedly she is here posting, up thattaway ^^.
You should ask her.
@JTesla And assuming this "click" she heard was even real. I find it ironic that she somehow remembers this very vague "click" as she's running away but is unable to remember most details of what this guy looked like. Or maybe this KATU article really really sucks.
@JTesla That's not always a bad thing...depends on what you're doing.  =)
@JTesla well there's no point in arguing over speculations, it was more food for thought :)Â
@Sundowner I'm slow.
@JTesla Logic isn't always welcome in comments....I thought you already knew that?
@Richard Goezinyah Your assuming a lot, assuming the click was his gun not firing instead of him preparing his gun to fire, and assuming that people who pack guns know how to use them. I too generally assume that people who carry also know how to use, but in stressful situations or with a random lady in an article, I stop making that assumption.Â
Besides, at what point would she have pulled out a gun? He had a major head start on her.