Updated 1:55 p.m. Friday -- Lt. Richard Troyer with the Cortland Police Department says Wednesday's traffic stop was legal and performed by an actual police officer.
The Cortland Police Department posted on Facebook Thursday morning that a suspicious person driving a vehicle with red and white lights pulled over a female driver on Route 281 Wednesday night.
Believing the man was not a police officer, the woman called the cops and described the event to investigators.
An investigation by the city police department found that the man was, in fact, a police officer, Lt. Troyer said. Another law enforcement agency called the department Thursday night and said the stop was legal and performed by one of their officers.
Troyer declined to identify the agency.
Earlier --
CORTLAND, N.Y. -- A man who may have pretended to be a cop during a traffic stop is being sought by the Cortland Police Department.
Police are investigating a complaint from a woman who says she was pulled over by a small vehicle displaying red and white flashing lights while driving on Route 281, near St. Mary's Cemetery, Wednesday night.
According to the woman's testimony, a man in dark clothing got out of the vehicle, approached the woman, and spoke to her about her muffler. The woman does not believe the male was a police officer, police said. She described the person a white male, more than 6 feet tall, in his mid-30s. Heavy rain and darkness prevented her from getting a better description of the man and the vehicle, police said.
The incident is said to have happened shortly before 8 p.m. Wednesday on Route 281, near St. Mary's Cemetery. The Cortland Police Department says no local police agency performed a traffic stop in the area during this time.
Anyone who may have witnessed the event -- or can possibly identify the vehicle or suspect -- is asked to contact city police headquarters at 607-753-3001.
"Remember this safety tip when being stopped white traveling alone at night -- pull over in a safe, well-lit, highly public area," the Cortland Police Department said in a media release.
