Police: Men arrested after impersonating officers

Two men were arrested for impersonating police officers in east Wichita, authorities said.

A man and a woman were walking in the area of Woodlawn and Hunter, just south of Kellogg, at about 11 p.m. Tuesday when they were approached by two men who pulled up in a white Ford Taurus, Lt. James Espinoza said.

The men asked the couple whether there was a problem. They said no.

The men identified themselves as police officers and handcuffed the man for a few minutes, Espinoza said. They were not dressed in uniforms and did not have badges. Each man had a walkie-talkie and spoke into it as if communicating with someone.

After they removed the cuffs from the 21-year-old man, he took off running, Espinoza said. When he looked to see where his companion was, he discovered she had gotten into the Taurus with the two men.

He called 911 and officers found and pulled over the Taurus a few blocks away. The 26-year-old woman told police she got into the Taurus because she thought they were officers so she did what they told her to do.

The two men, 23 and 24, were arrested, Espinoza said.

Actual police officers will be in recognizable uniforms and have badges, he said. Anyone who is uncertain about whether they’ve been stopped by an actual officer can call 911.

This story was originally published October 29, 2014 at 12:16 PM with the headline "Police: Men arrested after impersonating officers."