Police remind public: Ask us for ID

Staff report

BOARDMAN

Police are reminding people not to hesitate to ask for officers to identify themselves after a Monday report of a man posing as a member of law enforcement.

A township resident told police he was walking his dog on Devonshire Drive about 11:50 p.m. Monday when he saw a man dressed in all black wearing a black baseball hat and black glasses approach from the area of a vacant house at 4363 Devonshire.

The man with the dog asked the man dressed in black if he needed help, police said.

The suspect said no, and when the man asked the suspect who he was, the suspect identified himself as a police officer and showed a badge. The man said he had “never seen a badge like the one the suspect showed him,” reports state.

When the man asked the suspect his name, the suspect refused to identify himself and the two exchanged words before the suspect said he would shoot the dog if the man let it loose, police said.

The man called Boardman police who did not find a suspect matching the description nor signs of entry in the vacant building.

The incident serves as a reminder to the public about what to do if they think someone is impersonating law enforcement, said Boardman Detective Greg Stepuk.

“The badge should say the officer’s department or jurisdiction and you can always ask to see their ID card, in addition to the badge,” Stepuk said. “They shouldn’t give you a problem if you ask to see both.”

If people suspect that a badge is fake or the individual refuses to identify him- or herself, they should call police, he said.