WSP seeking witnesses to police impersonator – CLARIFICATION

What this means

A summary is not yet available. Publication is pending editorial review. Read the full original publication below.

Official release

Source material from Washington State Patrol. The wording below is the issuer’s statement.

October 23, 2026

SKAGIT COUNTY, Wash. – The Washington State Patrol (WSP) continues to seek any information on recent instances of police impersonation in the Skagit Valley area.

Earlier notices referenced a Crown Victoria with push bars but for clarification, that was an overly broad description. To be clear, owning and operating a decommissioned law enforcement vehicle that still has its push bars attached is not a violation and there are a number of legally owned and operated

vehicles in the area that fit that general description. WSP is seeking any vehicle that is being used to actively impersonate an officer while in use.

Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 9A.60.047, false identification as a peace officer, defines this as “the person claims to be a peace officer or creates an impression that the person is a peace officer, and does an act with intent to convey the impression that he or she is acting in an official capacity, such

as using a vehicle, wearing an article of clothing, or possessing or displaying an item bearing an insignia of a law enforcement agency.”

If you are contacted by someone in a vehicle and are unsure the stop is a legitimate police action, call 911. If this is a legitimate stop, the 911 operator will be able to quickly confirm the officer’s authenticity.

If you witness or are contacted by a police impersonator on our state highway system in the Skagit Valley area, please contact Trooper Ryan Thomas by email at ryan.thomas@wsp.wa.gov. Your assistance is appreciated as troopers work to hold police impersonators accountable for the crime.

###

Release sent by Trooper Kelsey Harding, D7 PIO

Release text attributed to Washington State Patrol. Consult the official publication for any subsequent corrections or updates.