MOBILE, Alabama -- Investigators believe a police impersonator pulled over a man near the intersection of Theodore Dawes Road and Interstate 10 early Friday morning before handcuffing and fatally shooting him, a Mobile Police Department spokeswoman said.

"This is one of the most significant public safety issues police encounter," said Police Chief James Barber.

Officers found David Patrick Kyles, 29, fatally shot at the intersection around 1:45 a.m. The car he was driving was nowhere to be found, said police spokeswoman Ashley Rains.

It was described as a black 2002 Honda Accord with license plate No. 2AT7771.

"If you see the vehicle, it could be dangerous," Rains said. "We ask that anyone who sees it stay away from it and call police."

Anyone with information on the car can contact MPD at 251-208-7211 or reach the department's intelligence unit by texting the keyword CRIME411 to CRIMES (274637). The CrimeStoppers Tip Line can be reached at 251-208-7000.

Witnesses told police a man driving a white Ford Crown Victoria pulled Kyles over at the intersection before the shooting. He wore all black clothing, including a black mask or hood, Rains said.

The Crown Victoria was recovered around 10:30 a.m. in a wooded area near the crime scene. It had a municipal license plate tag on it, Rains said.

The tag was reported stolen off of a detective's take-home car early Friday morning, she said.