Apex police investigating impersonator posing as officer

The Apex Police Department is warning the public Thursday afternoon about someone impersonating a police officer.

Police said a person was stopped Tuesday at 2:01 p.m. on Center Street near U.S. Highway 1 by someone who claimed to be a police officer.

According to the police, the man asked the person for information and told the person they were an undercover officer stopping them because the vehicle had been reported stolen. The man refused to provide his name or the name of the law enforcement agency he claimed to be affiliated with, police said.

Police said the man has short-cut, black hair and is about 5 feet and 8 inches tall. He was wearing a black and gray shirt with black pants and possibly carrying a firearm.

The man was driving a black older model Ford Crown Victoria with red and blue lights in the visor area, police said.

The victim reported that the man's vehicle had damage to the front bumper. The man is not an Apex police officer and is not known to be affiliated with any other law enforcement agency in the area.

Police said if you are stopped by someone who claims to be a police officer, you should safely pull over to a well-lit area and call 911 to verify that the vehicle is a marked police car.

You can also ask the officer to provide their name and badge number to confirm their identity.

If you have any information about this incident, please contact the Apex Police Department at 919-362-8661.

The incident is being investigated.