Woman out for a walk handcuffed by fake officer, North Carolina police say

Tanasia Kenney

A woman out for a walk over the weekend was stopped and handcuffed by a man posing as a police officer, according to police in North Carolina.

The Wilmington Police Department was alerted to the incident just after 2:30 p.m. Sunday, according to a news release.

The victim told police she was walking when a black Dodge Charger DRT pulled alongside her. The driver, who was wearing what looked like a bulletproof vest with “POLICE” emblazoned across the front, began talking to her and told her he was investigating a robbery nearby, police said.

The woman grew suspicious, however, and asked for the man’s badge number.

That’s when police say the man “exited the car, handcuffed her, gathered her personal information and un-cuffed her” before driving off, according to a news release.

The woman got away unharmed, police said.

The suspect is described as a Black male who’s 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs around 200 pounds. He also has a brush cut hairstyle.

He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans at the time of the incident, along with the police vest, according to a news release.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact the Wilmington Police Department at 910-343-3609.

Latest Stories

  • Can the Space Force repair its image and be taken seriously?

    Despite all the jokes about galactic warfare, the Space Force's Earth-bound national security mission is no laughing matter.

  • Trump administration’s handling of the Covid ‘even more dire than we thought’, says Biden

    Joe Biden rounded on his predecessor’s handling of the coronavirus epidemic, saying “it was even more dire than we thought”. In his first major interview since becoming president, Mr Biden told CBS news anchor, Norah O’Donnell, the country faced a challenge to reach herd immunity before the end of the summer. The US president said the rate of vaccination had to be accelerated to meet the target of 75 per cent of Americans getting the jab set by infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci. Mr Biden said his administration had been led to believe there was far more vaccine available than turned out. “So that’s why we’ve ramped up every way we can,” he added. The new administration is using the Defence Production Act to get companies to boost production of vaccine and protective equipment.

  • Don Jr complains about Super Bowl ads, calling them ‘woketopia’ after first commercial

    Twitter users advised that he should turn off his TV if he was 'triggered'

  • Woman Gets 10 Years in Prison for Kil‌l‌ing Nail Salon Manager After Skipping on Bill in Las Vegas

    A woman who killed a Vietnamese nail salon manager in Las Vegas in 2018 has been sentenced to a prison term of 10 to 25 years. The verdict: On Friday, Clark County District Court Judge Tierra Jones sentenced Krystal Whipple to prison for the death of 51-year-old Nhu "Annie" Ngoc Nguyen, the Associated Press reports. With the plea, she effectively avoided trials of felony murder, burglary, robbery and stolen vehicle charges, which she initially faced.

  • Democrats to unveil $3,000 direct cash payments to families with children

    Democrats will introduce a proposal attached to the next stimulus package that would provide $3,000-per-child direct payments in certain households.Why it matters: The new legislation, led by Ways and Means chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.), comes shortly after Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) introduced a similar proposal, lending bipartisan support to expanding cash benefits for families with children.Get smarter, faster with the news CEOs, entrepreneurs and top politicians read. Sign up for Axios Newsletters here.The Biden Administration has reviewed and supports the proposal, according to the Washington Post who first reported the plan. The legislative proposal, reviewed by Axios, will be revealed Monday along with other Ways and Means provisions. The IRS would begin depositing payments into bank accounts July 1.The payments would come in monthly installments.Qualifying household incomes would be based on the previous year with lower payouts for individuals making $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for those filing jointly.Eligible households with children 17 to 6 could receive payments of $3,000 for each child and $3,600 for children under 6.What they're saying: “The pandemic is driving families deeper and deeper into poverty, and it’s devastating, Rep. Ritchie Neal (D-Mass.), chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, said in a statement. "We are making the Child Tax Credit more generous, more accessible, and by paying it out monthly, this money is going to be the difference in a roof over someone’s head or food on their table," he said.Be smart: sign up FREE for the most influential newsletter in America.

  • Yellen Calls for Americans Making $60,000 to Receive Stimulus Checks

    Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Sunday called for Americans earning up to $60,000 to receive stimulus checks as part of the Biden administration’s massive coronavirus relief package. “If you think about an elementary school teacher or a policeman making $60,000 a year and faced with children who are out of school and people who may have had to withdraw from the labor force in order to take care of them and many extra burdens, [President Biden] thinks, and I would certainly agree, that it’s appropriate for people there to get support,” Yellen said on CNN. “The exact details of how it should be targeted are to be determined, but struggling middle class families need help,” she added. The administration has signaled that it is willing to potentially compromise on lowering the income threshold for Americans to be eligible to receive the one-time $1,400 stimulus checks included in the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package, but President Biden has refused to budge on the size of the checks. “President Biden is certainly willing to work with members of Congress to define what’s fair and he wouldn’t want to see a household making over $300,000 receive these payments,” Yellen said Sunday. Some Republicans and moderate Democrats including Senator Joe Manchin have proposed sending checks to individuals earning up to $50,000 and couples earning up to $100,000 instead of $75,000 and $150,000, respectively, the thresholds for the last round of direct payments. Last week, Senate Democrats used budget reconciliation, a process requiring only a simple majority in the Senate, to pass the relief bill because not enough Republicans were willing to get on board. Republicans previously used budget reconciliation to pass the Trump administration’s major tax reform bill. Biden and Senate Democrats have indicated their intention to push the package through without GOP support after a group of ten Republican senators proposed a stimulus package costing only about $600 billion. “I’m going to act, and I’m going to act fast,” Biden said last week. “I’d like to be doing it with the support of Republicans. I’ve met with Republicans — there’s some really fine people want to get something done. But they’re just not willing to go as far as I think we have to go.”

  • ‘Something has gone seriously awry’: Supreme Court strikes down California’s Covid ban on church worsip

    The court rejected similar restrictions in New York

  • Syria 'finds' body of famed archaeologist beheaded by Islamic State

    Syrian authorities believe they have found the remains of a famed archaeologist who was beheaded by Islamic State militants in Palmyra in 2015, reportedly after refusing to divulge the location of the site’s hidden treasures. One of three bodies recently recovered from an area outside the Palmyra was thought to be that of Khaled al-Asaad, the longtime director of antiquities in the ancient city, state news outlet Sana reported on Sunday. In August 2015 Asaad was publicly executed in a local square in Palmyra, months after IS militants overran the strategic oasis city in Syria’s eastern desert. The crime made global headlines as the urbane Asaad had served as the custodian of the Unesco world heritage site for over half a century, receiving numerous awards and accolades in Syria and abroad. The octogenarian antiquities scholar was born in Palmyra and had remained in the city after the IS takeover to attempt to preserve its heritage. IS militants detained Asaad for over a month before his murder, his family said. The group was earning millions from looting and smuggling artefacts at the time and Syria’s antiquities minister said they had killed him after trying to extract information about the whereabouts of the city’s hidden treasure. The fate of Asaad’s own mortal remains has been something of a mystery since then. Following his death, unverified images circulated online showing a dismembered corpse supposedly belonging to Asaad hanging from a traffic light, with a handwritten sign accusing him of being director of Palmyra’s “idols”. But other sources later suggested his body was found tied to one of an ancient pillar in the ruins of Palmyra’s central square. Syrian forces recaptured Palmyra until March 2016 with the help of Russian air strikes. But that December IS fighters managed to recapture the strategic oasis city in a surprise assault and it was not finally liberated until March 2017. The Sana report did not give further information about the recently recovered bodies but said their identity would be confirmed by DNA analysis.

  • Former FDA chief predicts states will make COVID-19 vaccines 'generally available' by April

    One of the major challenges the United States is facing in its COVID-19 vaccine drive is the fact that demand is outstripping supply, but Former Food and Drug Commissioner Scott Gottlieb thinks that will flip suddenly and "sooner than we think." In an appearance on CNBC's Squawk Box on Monday, Gottlieb noted that vaccine production is ramping up — about 220 million doses will be put into the market by the end of March, and another 100 million will be made available in April. Those numbers will be higher if the FDA soon authorizes Johnson & Johnson's candidate for emergency use, as Gottlieb expects. By that point, he said, states will likely have to make the shots "generally available" because a shrinking, but still significant reluctance to get vaccinated among the American public means there won't be enough takers if only specific groups of people have access. "If we continue to ration it based on more and more narrow slices of the population, it's going to get harder to administer. So, I think we're just going to have to open this up to general availability, which is good news," he said, pinpointing the end of March and "certainly" April as target dates. Gottlieb cautioned that doesn't mean everyone who wants a vaccine will be able to get one by April 1, but he does think most people will be able to schedule an appointment. "We're going to run out of demand sooner than we think. At some point in March and certainly by the end of March we're going to have to make this generally available ... everyone is going to be able to go online and get an appointment sooner than we think," says @ScottGottliebMD. pic.twitter.com/0mnWAUJN9J — Squawk Box (@SquawkCNBC) February 8, 2021 More stories from theweek.comWhat's the point of Trump's second impeachment trial?5 brutally funny cartoons about America's bungled vaccine rolloutHouse Democrats will push to include $250-300 monthly child payments in stimulus bill

  • Explainer: What's at stake for Israel's Netanyahu as corruption trial resumes?

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial resumes on Monday, when Israel's longest-serving leader will have to enter his plea to charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust. Netanyahu has managed to stay in office throughout the investigations and three election campaigns - with a fourth election due on March 23. No other government minister is protected in this way, so there are legal and political reasons why Netanyahu wants to stay at the top.

  • Iran: US must lift sanctions before it lives up to nuke deal

    Iran’s supreme leader on Sunday urged the United States to lift all sanctions if it wants Iran to live up to commitments under its nuclear deal with world powers, state TV reported, but President Joe Biden says the U.S. won't be making the first move. “If (the U.S.) wants Iran to return to its commitments, it must lift all sanctions in practice, then we will do verification … then we will return to our commitments,” state TV quoted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying, in his first comments on the matter since Biden took office.

  • Michael Cohen tells Stormy Daniels he's sorry for causing her 'needless pain'

    Former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen interviewed porn star Stormy Daniels and apologized for his role in attempting to cover up her claims on behalf of former President Donald Trump.

  • Salmond prepared to attack Sturgeon in televised press conference if MSPs refuse to publish evidence

    Alex Salmond has offered to appear in front of a Holyrood committee at a date of its choosing - but only if it publishes his explosive claims against Nicola Sturgeon first. The former First Minister’s lawyers are understood to have told MSPs that he is prepared to testify under oath on any day before Ms Sturgeon’s appearance on Tuesday next week. However, he has made clear that he will only do so if a dossier detailing the multiple ways in which he believes Ms Sturgeon has broken the ministerial code is released by the inquiry. The committee is investigating the circumstances around an unlawful civil service probe into sexual misconduct complaints against Mr Salmond. While it remains Mr Salmond’s preference to appear at Holyrood, he plans to hold a televised press conference instead, should the committee refuse to back down.

  • Netanyahu 'abruptly' leaves court after pleading not guilty to corruption charges

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared in court Monday, pleading not guilty to corruption charges. The prime minister, who is charged with bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, made a Jerusalem court appearance Monday morning and confirmed pleas of not guilty that had been submitted by his lawyers, CNN reports. This was the second appearance in court for Netanyahu since his corruption trial commenced last May. He's accused of carrying out political favors in exchange for gifts or favorable media coverage. After entering his not guilty plea, The Washington Post reports Netanyahu "abruptly" stood up, said "thank you very much," and left about 20 minutes into the hearing. This "quick departure from the court building seemed aimed at showing the public that he would not allow the trial to interfere with government business," Reuters wrote. "He came by himself, without family members or minister loyalists, he is trying to belittle the situation," Hebrew University of Jerusalem political scientist Gayil Talshir also told the Post. Netanyahu's appearance came weeks before Israel's March 23 elections, and CNN reports an ally of the prime minister's called for judges to delay additional hearings until after the vote. Netanyahu, Axios writes, hopes to "use his trial as a means for mobilizing his base ahead of the elections." More stories from theweek.comWhat's the point of Trump's second impeachment trial?5 brutally funny cartoons about America's bungled vaccine rolloutHouse Democrats will push to include $250-300 monthly child payments in stimulus bill

  • Pope moves ahead with plans to meet Shiite leader in Iraq

    Pope Francis will meet with Iraq's top Shiite Muslim cleric, Ali al-Sistani, during a trip next month that will also include a pilgrimage to ancient Christian communities that were emptied and devastated in battles with the Islamic State group. The Vatican on Monday released the itinerary of Francis’ March 5-8 visit to Iraq, his first foreign trip since being grounded for 16 months due to the coronavirus pandemic. Francis’ main reason for making the first-ever papal trip to Iraq is to encourage the country’s Christians, who faced decades of discrimination by Iraq’s Muslims before being persecuted by the Islamic State group starting in 2014.

  • Biden said Trump's handling of COVID-19 was 'even more dire than we thought' after finding insufficient vaccine supplies

    The Trump administration had indicated there were a lot more vaccines available than really existed, Biden said in his interview with CBS News.

  • Myanmar general repeats pledge of new election as thousands join protests against coup

    Senior General Min Aung Hlaing was speaking in a televised address, his first to the country since last Monday's military takeover. In the capital Naypyitaw, crowds of protesters chanted anti-coup slogans and told police they should serve the people not the military, according to media and a live feed of events. Police turned water cannon on protesters and warned that they might use live fire if the demonstrators did not disperse, but the protests ended without bloodshed.

  • Trump's impeachment lawyer specializes in medical malpractice and 'people falsely accused in Me Too cases'

    Former President Donald Trump's impeachment lawyer wasn't exactly his first choice — he's not exactly known for taking on high-profile federal cases. Still, Bruce Castor is ready to defend the man he calls "the nicest guy in the world," and isn't anticipating it'll be very hard, he tells The Washington Post. Castor, the former district attorney for Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, was tapped to defend Trump just a week ago, after the former president's first team of lawyers quit. But Castor thought he actually had the job weeks earlier. His cousin Stephen Castor was the House Republicans' counsel in Trump's first impeachment, and he had asked Castor if he was interested in the job back on Jan. 17. Castor was of course interested; Though he still has never met Trump, he voted for him, and said he has had nothing but "delightful" interactions with him since getting the role. The late addition left Castor with barely a week to prepare for the trial — "I would have liked the extra two weeks of preparation time," he told the Post. After all, since leaving public service, Castor has been focused in medical malpractice, personal injury and "people falsely accused in Me Too cases where their reputations were ruined," he said. He's probably most famous for not prosecuting Bill Cosby in 2005, when Andrea Constand accused him of sexual assault. But as Castor tells the Post, he doesn't find Trump's case "particularly complicated." He's "enormously proud" of the defense he and fellow lawyer David Schoen drew up in response to House impeachment managers' charge of incitement of insurrection, even if it did misspell the name of the United States. And as long as the whole thing doesn't "get bogged down with everyone wanting to ask questions," Castor said he's ready to succinctly "get it done and go home." Read more about Castor's defense plan at The Washington Post. More stories from theweek.comWhat's the point of Trump's second impeachment trial?5 brutally funny cartoons about America's bungled vaccine rolloutHouse Democrats will push to include $250-300 monthly child payments in stimulus bill

  • Republican Cox opens run for governor with ad hitting rival

    Republican John Cox formally opened his campaign for California governor Monday with a TV ad depicting his leading GOP rival as a political twin of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and promising to work for lower housing costs and new jobs. The 30-second ad airing statewide marks the official kickoff of his second campaign for the state's top job, after Cox finished behind Newsom in their 2018 matchup. Cox will be a candidate in the proposed recall election that threatens to oust Newsom this year, if it qualifies for the ballot, or will run against Newsom when he is expected to seek a second term in 2022.

  • Village submerged by red water after flood hits batik factory

    A village in Central Java was submerged by crimson water after flooding hit a batik factory.