Deadly lawmaker ambush in Minnesota raises fears about fake police officers knocking on doors

Vance Boelter left the state of Minnesota in fear after he allegedly posed as a police officer and carried out the shootings of two state lawmakers killing one and her husband at their homes last week But what can you do to verify that the person who knocks on your door or pulls you over while you're in your automobile is a law enforcement officer Mark Bruley chief of police in Brooklyn Park Minnesota where Boelter allegedly shot and killed Minnesota state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark informed reporters at a press conference earlier this week that there s one thing you can do that s never wrong You dependably can call and verify if the person at your door is a police officer Bruley disclosed If they are working police officer they will be connected to a dispatch center that can validate that So the first thing I would do is if you're concerned about it is call Obviously there's a lot of different uniforms and it's never wrong to do that WHAT MOTIVATED SUSPECT IN MINNESOTA LAWMAKER SHOOTING IS UNCLEAR SO ARE HIS POLITICSPolice officers typically wear a visible badge with their identification number and name on their uniform They often also carry agency-issued photo identification that can include their name rank and agency information Fox News Digital spoke with Brian Higgins founder of Group and former Chief of Police of Bergen County N J to learn more about what citizens can do in cases where they feel the need to verify that who they re speaking to is a law enforcement officer Higgins stated that the bulk verification measures such as requesting the officer s photo identification require the citizen to open the door at which point it would be too late if the individual is an impersonator If you re not sure don t open the door Higgins announced adding that citizens can stand to the side of their door and speak to officers through the door while calling or the local police department to confirm that an officer was sent to their home Higgins revealed that knowing what police uniforms look like and if you live in a town with a smaller police force being familiar with its members helps with verifying If you see an officer not in uniform not someone you recognize Higgins announced it s prudent to call police and ask if this person is a police officer Not all situations however are the same It s more challenging when on the road and a police officer pulls you over Higgins disclosed of verification during traffic stops In these situations Higgins explained it s critical to know what law enforcement vehicles look like adding that sometimes real law enforcement cars can be unmarked MINNESOTA POLICE PRAISED FOR FOILING LAWMAKER SHOOTING SUSPECT'S PLANHiggins stated officers usually call in traffic violations to dispatch so drivers can still call or the local police to verify that an officer performing their duties initiated the stop Higgins advised citizens to inevitably be aware of their surroundings and to pull over in community places if accomplishable If unable to at once pull over in a citizens place Higgins announced drivers can lower their window just enough keep their car in drive and ask the officer if it s practicable to drive to another place that is safer or more community Higgins reported that police officers understand that citizens may be uncertain or nervous and ask for verification If their answer is anything other than professional it should raise a concern Higgins declared That is if the citizen didn t do anything obviously illegal like run a red light he added as a caveat In the scenario in Minnesota Boelter allegedly impersonated a police officer wearing a flesh-colored mask a black tactical vest and carrying a flashlight before shooting and killing state Rep Melissa Hortman and her husband and wounding state Sen John Hoffman and his wife Yvette at their respective homes Boelter also drove a black SUV equipped with police-style lights and a fake license plate that mentioned POLICE according to a court affidavit Video footage from Hoffman s home shows a masked Boelter at the front door wearing the black tactical vest and holding a flashlight according to the affidavit Boelter then allegedly knocked on their door and shouted repeatedly This is the police Open the door The Hoffmans answered the door but since Boelter was shining the flashlight in their eyes realized too late that Boelter was not a real police officer the affidavit noted