Woman sexually assaulted in Edmonton after road stop by fake peace officer

A female driverpolice described as "very brave" was pulled over early Sunday by someone posing as a peace officer, and then forcibly confined and sexually assaulted in an ordeal that lasted for an hour.

Using her cellphone, the woman secretly shot video of her attacker, footage that has now been shared by police.

The womanwas driving home on AnthonyHendayDrive near 127th Street about 1:30 a.m. when she was directed to pull over by a vehicle with flashing lights.

A man wearing a uniform got out of a white Nissan Rogue, walked up and asked the woman to come back to his vehicle.

"He approached the vehicle in the same way we would approach a vehicle," acting Staff Sgt. Barry Fairhurst said at a news conference Wednesday. "He identified himself as a peace officer, and asked her to exit the vehicle."

The woman complied, police said, because she assumed the man was a peaceofficer.

The manthreatened the woman, implying that hewouldn't charge her if she performed sexual acts on him. The woman was then driven to the area of Borden Park, more than 15 kilometres away, where she was sexually assaulted. The man then drove the victim to her residence, police said.

Cellphone video of attacker

"When she was being driven home afterwards, she was able to pull her phone out and take some discreet photos," Fairhurst said. "It was approximately an hour duration of time from the vehicle stop to when the female was dropped off at home."

The attacker was thought to have been driving a white Nissan Rogue between the model years 2007 to 2013. Heis described as Caucasian, 25 to 30 years old, with a thin build and short brown hair. He was wearing what appeared to be a navy blue peace officer's uniform.

Police are asking for the public's assistance in locating the man.

The police investigation has progressed since the victim made her report on Monday, Fairhurstsaid.

"We've alreadyreceived quite a few tips as to who this possibly could be."

'It's rare, but we do hear about it'

Fairhurst said police don't think the attacker was targeting anyone but was simply looking for a woman alone in a vehicle.

"I think she's very brave," he said of the victim. "And I think part of her reasoning coming forward is she didn't want any other females becoming victims on the road."

Drivers who are pulled over and are unsure about whether they've been stopped by a legitimate police officer should locktheir doors and call 911, he said. Operators on the line can quickly confirm whether police are involved.

Instances of people impersonating police or peace officers are rare in Canada, with only one or two cases a year, an expert in policing issues said.

"It's a scary idea," said MichaelKempa, an associate professor of criminology at the University of Ottawa.

"It's featured in a lot ofHollywoodfilms where someone you're meant to trust, a police officer, turns out to be not what they were showing themselves to be.

"It's scary, so we notice it, it does happen. The public should be aware, and pay attention to the warning signs."

If... they really don't want to show you their badge or their identification, you should call 911.- Michael Kempa, associate professor, University of Ottawa

Impersonating a police officer is an offence that can carry up to a five-year prison term, depending on the severity, he added.

It's not hard to purchase an outfit and alter it to look like a police uniform, Kempa said, but actual police officers carry identification usually a badge and a picture identity card from the police organization they work for.

Fairhurst said the attacker's uniform was not familiar to local police.

"I don't think it's similar to an Edmonton city police officer's uniform," he said. "We're actually looking for the public's assistance in identifying the exact unit that crest would be associated to."

Members of the public have the right to ask to see a police officer's identification, Kempa said.

"If... they really don't want to show you their badge or their identification, you should call 911," he said."It's not tying up the lines and they can verify for you very quickly whether or not that's an actual police officer."