A man impersonating a police officer attempted to kidnap a someone when they met Sunday night in the Ellsworth Springs neighborhood, according to the Vancouver Police Department.
The female victim had arranged to meet with a man she met through social media, according to police. The victim, and a male companion who drove her, arrived in the area around Southeast Maxon Road and Southeast 19th Street shortly before midnight and saw a vehicle with flashing lights approaching from behind.
They stopped, under the impression they were being pulled over by the police, the Vancouver Police Department said. A man wearing what looked like a police uniform approached the victim’s vehicle, pulled the passenger out, handcuffed her then put her inside his vehicle.
The victim and her male companion quickly realized the man was not a real police officer and both fled on foot. The police said neither were badly hurt, and that the suspect drove away.
The department asked anyone with helpful information on the attempted kidnapping to contact its tip line that at 360-487-7399.
