Police Officer Impersonator Arrested in Larimer County; Plus, Another Impersonator Reported in Denver

Hugh Clark, 63, was arrested last week by the Larimer County Sheriff’s Department for impersonating a peace officer. On January 28, Clark turned on red and blue lights that he had installed on his Toyota 4Runner while pursuing a man driving in Larimer County, but the man didn’t pull over. Clark also turned on a siren attached to his vehicle for a short time. The man Clark was pursuing was not confident that Clark was a real police officer. After several miles of pursuing the man, Clark stopped and turned around. 

The man reported the incident to the police and the department was able to arrest Clark two days later, on January 30. Officers found handcuffs, flashing lights, and a uniform with law enforcement insignia inside of Clark’s vehicle. He was given a $3,500 personal recognizance bond and was released on January 31. No other victims have been reported, but the department is asking potential victims to report the incident as they continue to investigate. 

On Sunday, February 2, a different police officer impersonator was reported in Denver by a victim who was pulled over by a gray van with red and blue flashing lights. The man approached the vehicle and told the victim he was an undercover officer investigating stolen vehicles. The impersonator asked for the victim’s ID and the victim complied. 

The victim put his wallet down after he gave the impersonator his ID. The impersonator returned the ID, went back to his van and left. Later, the victim noticed his wallet was gone and there were unauthorized charges on his credit card. Denver Police say that the impersonator has not been identified or caught. 

Impersonating a police officer is a class 5 felony, which is punishable with one to three years in prison and a fine up to $100,000. Denver Police and the Larimer County Sheriff’s Department offered guidance for individuals to protect themselves from being victimized by a law enforcement impersonator. Victims are advised to pull over in a well-lit area and to observe whether the vehicle is a marked police car. If you are uncertain, you can always call 911 to verify if there are any unmarked vehicles in the area. You can also request the police officer to show his or her official badge and obtain the officer’s badge number.