Man charged with impersonating North Vancouver Mountie

Mounties in North Vancouver say a man has been charged after allegedly pulling over a Tesla and falsely identifying himself as an RCMP officer.

They say the man was driving a Ford F-150 with lights that resembled emergency vehicle lights.

Police say the man was arrested shortly after and was released pending a court date.

They say officers determined during the investigation that there may be other victims who were pulled over by the suspect, so they made a social media post requesting victims to come forward.

The RCMP say on June 24, the BC Prosecution Service formally charged the man with "personating a peace officer" and using equipment likely to cause the public to believe he was a peace officer.

Cpl. Mansoor Sahak says public safety is the detachment's top priority and they are encouraging the community to feel empowered questioning suspicious behaviour and take steps to verify an officer's identity.

"Your caution could help prevent further incidents and assist in ongoing investigations," Sahak says in the news release.

The release says if people suspect they may have been pulled over by a police impersonator, to take steps such as asking to see their badge, which will display their photo ID and regimental number.

It says people could also call 911 and the dispatcher can verify if an officer is conducting a traffic stop in the area.