Halifax RCMP are reminding anyone who's unsure of a police officer's identity to ask for identification after a man claiming to be an officer burst into a woman's home in Waverley Tuesday night.

Police say around 8:30 p.m. a man knocked on the door of a home on Joe Street and told a 56-year-old woman he was a police officer. When she opened the door, he assaulted her and sprayed her with a substance similar to pepper spray or bear spray, said Cpl. Dal Hutchinson.

Hutchinson said three other men in masks pushed their way into the home, but almost as soon as they were inside, all four left.

"There's no indication that anything was stolen or taken from the home," said Hutchinson. "There were no threats or demands made by the four men, so the motive behind this incident is not clear to our investigators."

Ask for ID

The 56-year-old woman suffered minor injuries and was treated by emergency responders at her home. There was also a 26-year-old woman home at the time who wasn't injured, police said.

All four men ran out of the home and toward Waverley Road, where they jumped into a vehicle.

Hutchinson said it's not unusual for police to show up at someone's door not in uniform, but they will have a badge and photo ID.

"Ask to see those," he said. "If you're still unsure and doubtful, ask for a telephone number which they can call or you can call the non-emergency police line just to confirm the whereabouts of this officer who is at your door."

Still, Hutchinson said incidents of people impersonating officers are rare.

Did you see the men?

The man who claimed to be a police officer is described as being white, in his late twenties, with scruffy blond hair. Police said he's 5-6" and average weight and was wearing dark clothing and a ball cap.

There's little known about the other three men, said Hutchinson, except that they're described as being tall.

Police are asking anyone who witnessed what happened or saw a vehicle leaving the area with several people inside to call Halifax District RCMP or Halifax Regional Police at 902-490-5020 or Crime Stoppers.