Lansing Motorist Robbed at Gunpoint by Man Impersonating Police

On Monday July 8, a 34-year-old Lansing man was pulled over by a man he believed to be a police officer, then robbed at gunpoint. Robert Merrit, Lansing police public information officer, said in a news article at Mlive.com that at around 10:50 p.m. on Monday, police were dispatched to the area of Lindbergh Drive and Pennsylvania Avenue after receiving reports of an armed robbery.

The robbery victim, who was not identified, said that noticed a car behind him with a flashing red light as he drove near Baker Street along Pennsylvania Avenue. He pulled over on Lindbergh Drive assuming that police were attempting to stop him. The victim told police that the car pulled in behind him; after getting out of the vehicle, the man who the victim assumed to be a police officer approached his driver-side window, then demanded his wallet after pointing a handgun at him.

The victim gave the suspect his wallet along with the keys to his vehicle and cell phone. He was then instructed to walk away from his vehicle while the suspect got back in his car and fled the scene. He was not injured according to news reports.

Merritt described the vehicle the suspect was driving as a Chevy Impala, dark in color and possibly a 2006 model. The red horizontal blinking light was located on the middle of the dashboard and approximately one foot in length. The suspect is believed to be between 25 and 35 years old, of medium build with short black hair and sporting a goatee and mustache. He was described to be approximately 6 feet tall, wearing blue jeans and a white jersey top with green lettering.

When apprehended, the suspect in this case may face charges of armed robbery and impersonating a police officer.

While the news article stated that the suspect robbed the driver at gunpoint, Michigan armed robbery lawyers know that an individual does not have to have an actual weapon to be charged with this serious criminal offense. Even the insinuation of a weapon can leave an individual facing a life sentence if convicted according to the Michigan Penal Code 750.529.


Those who have been arrested for armed robbery or any serious/violent offense must contact a skilled Michigan criminal defense attorney right away, as the consequences of a conviction are life changing.

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