Spokane man arrested for impersonating law enforcement
May 12—QUINCY — A Spokane man was booked into the Chelan County Regional Jail on suspicion of second-degree criminal impersonation after he allegedly attempted to stop a car by pretending to be a police officer May 8.
Ronald Cowin, 62, was arrested near Quincy by a Washington State Patrol trooper, according to a WSP press release. Cowin allegedly had used red and blue flashing lights in his car to attempt to pull another car over.
The incident was reported at about 6:30 p.m. May 8 on the Chumstick Highway near Leavenworth. The reporting party said a silver Crown Victoria had followed the car, turning on flashing lights apparently mounted in the dash. The victim tried to pull over, but the driver of the Crown Victoria drove past, the press release said.
The reporting party encountered the Crown Victoria again near Dryden and got a picture of it when its driver attempted to stop the reporting party again. About half an hour later, a WSP trooper from Moses Lake saw a vehicle matching the description and followed it, stopping it near the intersection of White Trail Road and State Route 281, about five miles south of Quincy, the press release said.
"(Attempted impersonation of a police officer) is not very common at all," said Jeremy Weber, WSP public information officer for District Six.
While it's uncommon, Weber said there are some steps people can take if they think the person trying to pull them over might not be a real law enforcement officer.
"The important part is to stay calm and not try to flee," Weber said.
Drivers should put flashers on, drive at or below the speed limit to a public and well-lit location, he said.
"Call 911 immediately," he said.
Dispatchers will be able to tell drivers whether or not that's a law enforcement officer, he said. Drivers shouldn't stop until the dispatcher can confirm it's a legitimate law enforcement officer. If it's legit, the driver should stop and explain their concerns to law enforcement.
"They will address your concerns, readily identify themselves and let you know the reason for the original contact," the WSP release said.
If the dispatchers can't confirm that, drivers should keep moving, stay on the line, ask for law enforcement and drive to a safe location like a fire station or police department.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Fatal hit-and-run blocks lanes on NB I-5 in Kent
All lanes but one are blocked on northbound I-5 in Kent following a fatal hit-and-run, according to the Washington State Patrol. Drivers were told to expect delays through the area. It is unclear at this time who was involved, but detectives are on the scene investigating. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), the collision blocked all general-purpose lanes and partially blocked the on-ramp from SR 516. Traffic could only get by in the HOV lane. As of 8:45 p.m., WSDOT reported about a 1.5-mile back-up. This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Feds take over manhunt for Washington father accused of killing 3 young daughters
After law enforcement officers spent days scouring a remote section of Washington state for a man accused of killing his three young daughters, the sheriff leading the manhunt turned the search over to federal authorities, officials said Monday. Since last week, the search for Travis Decker, 32, has covered hundreds of square miles by air, land and water, the Chelan County Sheriff's Office said in a news release, and the department has reached the point 'where we need to rest our local resources.' 'Our command staff continues to be engaged with the search command while we give our teams time off to rest and recuperate and be ready to rejoin the search for, and capture of, the suspect,' the sheriff's office said. The sheriff's office remains the lead agency in the criminal investigation into the deaths of Decker's three daughters, Evelyn, 8, Paityn, 9, and Olivia Decker, 5, the department said. The girls were found dead June 2 near a campground east of Seattle after Decker failed to return them from a visitation three days before. An arrest warrant accuses him of first-degree murder and kidnapping. An autopsy completed Friday attributed the girls' deaths to suffocation, according to Monday's release. A detective previously wrote in an affidavit in support of an arrest warrant that they had bags over their heads and had been zip-tied. Two bloody handprints were found on Decker's white pickup, which was found near the girls, and one of the blood samples recovered from the scene was that of a man, the department said. Another blood sample was nonhuman. The sheriff's office said additional DNA and fingerprint analyses are being conducted. Authorities said they have collected a large amount of evidence from the scene, along with Decker's dog, which was turned over to a local animal rescue. Authorities have described Decker, a military veteran and active member of the Washington State National Guard, as a longtime outdoorsman known to go 'off-grid' for months. The sheriff has warned people with cabins in the area to lock their doors and leave their lights on at night. The affidavit shows that Decker's ex-wife, Whitney Decker, described her relationship with her ex-husband as cordial and said he'd never previously failed to return their children. A parenting plan imposed by a court last year required him to seek mental health treatment and domestic violence-anger management counseling, but he hadn't done so, and he refused to sign the plan, according to the affidavit. Since the girls were found dead, Whitney Decker has called for reforms to the Amber Alert system, which sends out text messages to all cellphones in the area of missing children but wasn't used after she told authorities that her ex-husband had violated their parenting plan. A spokesman for the agency that manages the system, the Washington State Patrol, has said a request for an alert from local authorities didn't meet strict criteria required by the federal program. This article was originally published on
USA Today
13 hours ago
- USA Today
Travis Decker manhunt: What we know about search for dad suspected of killing 3 girls
Travis Decker manhunt: What we know about search for dad suspected of killing 3 girls Show Caption Hide Caption Manhunt for Travis Decker intensifies Authorities warn that Travis Decker, who is accused of kidnapping and killing his daughters, may be capable of surviving off the grid for months. Fox - Seattle Just over a week after three Washington girls were reported missing and later found dead, their suspected killer − their father − is still on the run. The girls, 5-year-old Olivia, 8-year-old Evelyn, and 9-year-old Paityn Decker, were visiting their dad, Travis Decker, 32, when they were last seen around 5 p.m. on May 30, according to the Wenatchee Police Department. At the time of the visit, Decker was living out of his vehicle, police said, later adding that investigators secured a warrant for Decker's arrest for three counts of custodial interference. The girls were found dead near a campground on June 2, three days after they were last seen alive. Decker is now wanted on charges of murder, kidnapping and custodial interference. On Friday, June 6, authorities from the Wenatchee Police Department and the Chelan County Sheriff's Office released new images of the girls' father. Here's everything we know about the case as the manhunt for Decker continues. What happened to Olivia, Evelyn, and Paityn? According to Wenatchee police, Decker was living out of his 2017 GMC Sierra pickup truck with license plates D20165C in Wenatchee, about 148 miles east of Seattle. The girls' mother called for help around 9:45 p.m. on May 30 and said her children were at a planned visit with their father. He never returned the girls, so she called for help. Wenatchee police said they "immediately began working" to find Decker and the girls and entered Decker's vehicle into a local flock database, which showed that the vehicle traveled westbound on a highway from Wenatchee on May 30. Police said they also checked all motels in the area and found nothing. According to police, someone contacted Washington State Patrol that same night to request an AMBER alert, but the case "did not meet the required criteria." The next day, Wenatchee police contacted the Washington State Police again with more information and an Endangered Missing Person Alert was issued. USA TODAY has contacted the Wenatchee Police Department, Chelan County Sheriff's Office, and the Washington State Patrol for comments. By June 2, three days after the girls were last seen, authorities had narrowed down their search to an area between two roads in Washington. Investigators found Decker's vehicle around 3:45 p.m. on June 2 near a campground. There was no one in the vehicle, but when investigators searched the surrounding area, they found the bodies of the three girls. Their father was not found that day. Upon learning more about how the case was handled, some social media users took to the comments to call out authorities for their lack of urgency in finding the girls. 'Following this story, you failed this family,' wrote one Facebook user. 'You didn't act immediately and because of that this mom has lost her girls forever. I hope everyone of you that told her that more time had to pass before action could be (taken) lose sleep over this.' Where have authorities searched for Travis Decker? The U.S. Forest Service overseeing the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest issued a forest closure on June 4 for the area where the girls were found. They rescinded the closure on June 8. 'Authorities are searching for a murder suspect and we encourage everyone to remain alert,' the service said. 'If you must be in the vicinity, please stay aware of your surroundings and follow any official guidance from Chelan County Sheriff's Office.' Searches have spanned forested areas, the river, and many structures in the area Decker was last known to be in, the Chelan County Sheriff's Office said. Washington governor Bob Ferguson announced on June 7 that emergency funds would be used to help with the search for Decker. 'As a parent, my heart goes out to Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia's mom, Whitney, and all those who love them,' the governor said. Fugitive father is skilled in surviving outdoors, former military The Chelan County Sheriff's Office is working with the U.S. Marshals PNVOTF to find Decker, the office said, adding that a reward of up to $20,000 is available for information leading to his arrest. 'The suspect is not known to be armed at this time, but should be considered dangerous,' the sheriff's office said on June 3. The office added on June 4 that Decker previously served in the military and has had 'extensive training.' He is also 'well versed in wilderness survival and capable of spending days or even weeks in the wilderness on his own and with very little equipment.' The office also released video footage and photos captured days before his visitation with the girls. Investigators released the images so the public can see what he looked like most recently. Decker is 5-feet-8, weighs 190 pounds, has black hair, brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a light-colored shirt and dark shorts, police said. The department asked that anyone who sees Decker call 911. Those who see him should not contact or approach him. Those with information can contact the Chelan County Sheriff's Office tip line at (509) 667-6845 or submit your information at Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@
