Fake cop stops, searches St. Paul woman

http://www.kstp.com/article/stories/S7016.html?cat=1 ^ | : 03/16/2005 10:15:07 AM | 5 Eyewitness News

[Lijahsbubbe]

ST. PAUL - A Twin Cities woman's strange traffic stop has alerted authorities to a man masquerading as a cop in Superior, Wis.

Aleece Rikkola, of St. Paul, says she was pulled over Saturday night. She saw what looked like a typical, undercover cop car, painted white with various mirrors and antennas. She said the man conducted himself in such a professional manner, she had no reason to believe he was a phony.

Rikkola says he told her he received a call from his station saying to be on the lookout for a black Ford Tempo, like hers. He said it was carrying paraphernalia and drugs.

Rikkola says he put restraints on her wrists while he and his German Shepherd conducted what looked like a drug search on her car.

"He put restraints on me. They weren't handcuffs because they didn't jingle," she said.

Finding nothing, he let her go. Rikkola continued on to her parents house. Her mother thought the story sounded strange and called police. Officials told her they had no report of her daughter's stop and did not know of a car patrolling Superior.

Luckily, Rikkola was not harmed.

"Thinking back it kinda makes me nervous, not just for me but for other drivers, " she said.

[Deguello]

"They weren't handcuffs because they didn't jingle," she said."

That's between her and her husband.

[martin_fierro]

Aleece Rikkola

I'd search it.

[nmh]

"Sounds like a good way to scam free drugs to me. And probably "cop" a feel while you're at it."

You're probably right.

Years ago when I lived in an garden apartment, the guy below me was a NJ State trooper. He'd BRAG about the drugs he personally confiscated and consumed in his apartment. He'd often be outside smoking a joint while basking in the sun.

He'd talk about how he'd be involved in a drug raid and he'd cuff the guy and "accidentally" push him down the stairs. He'd also "interrogate" the person for where there could be more drugs and the penalty for hiding them. They'd usually tell him where they were because they wanted to minimize the trouble they were in. He'd stuff it all over his person and take it home IF he though it was superior grade stuff.

You should have seen this guys retirement party. God knows how many state police and locals were there but the air was THICK with the smell of marijuana. So, crocked stuff goes on all the time with police.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Drugs and feeling -- maybe. Might also be a dress rehearsal for a stop that goes farther -- molestation, abduction, etc. It sure is easier under cover of authority, becaus the penalties to the public for protesting a legitimate cop are so high. That's why impersonating the police should carry very high penalties.

Its also another reason against "no-knock" raids. The police should be identifiable.

[coloradan]

Boy, the fun you could have had with a camcorder, telephoto lens, and a box or two with appropriate postage.

[nmh]

"Boy, the fun you could have had with a camcorder, telephoto lens, and a box or two with appropriate postage."

This happened right BELOW my apartment. There was only two floor - mine above and his below. They hid nothing.

[coloradan]

But, you wouldn't want to just point the camera in their face from next door... probably get you killed. (They're cops, after all.) Hence the suggestion for the telephoto. Go across the street and hide behind the bushes or something.

[nmh]

This was about 15 years ago.

Since then I heard he moved to Antigua and then they had that horrific hurricane, years ago. He blew his "business" investment and returned to the U.S. where his wife divorced him. I felt sorry for her. ALL she ever wanted was a baby from him. He forgot to tell her BEFORE he married her that he had a vasectomy. He had a daughter from another marriage and vowed to NEVER have kids again. Unfortunately, he forgot to tell his wife. I felt so sorry for her that I told her he should get checked by a doctor "to make sure nothing was wrong". She got checked out but he wouldn't go - eventually I think she figured it out and one of the reasons SHE divorced him. He made her quit her job and loaded her up with marijuana. It was a sad situation. As I said, this goes back quite a few years. His dream retirement of being a drug dealer and having a childless beautiful wife who liked sex were also destroyed.