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“Also, some people are very nostalgic people. They go online and they order the crests or create their own uniform.”

The man then reportedly threatened the complainant, implying that he wouldn’t proceed with criminal charges if she performed sexual acts on him.

The complainant was then driven to another area near Borden Park, sexually assaulted and then driven home, said Fairhurst. The entire incident lasted about an hour.

“At all stages of the stop, she believed this male was a peace officer,” Fairhust said. “Based on her respect for the authority and the police, she at no time felt she was able to leave and walk out. She was trying to be respectful to the authority, which is also very concerning for us as police that someone is presenting this power, this authority to public and is using it falsely.”

While she was being driven home, she managed to discreetly take a photo and video of the suspect. She contacted police in the morning.

Fairhurst does not believe the woman was targeted specifically, other than the suspect was likely looking to pull over a woman.

Fairhurst said if you have any doubts as to the legitimacy of an officer, drivers can lock their doors and call 911 dispatch to verify if a police officer is on the scene.

Whenever a legitimate police officer pulls someone over for a traffic stop, they will tell the driver the reason for being pulled over and will ask for licence, registration and proof of insurance, Fairhurst said.