Holly MatkinSarasota, FL – Two women have been arrested for impersonating law enforcement officers after they pulled a vehicle over, shouted expletives at the occupants, and yelled that “black lives don’t f—king matter” (video below).
Jymieka McDowell and Ryshawnna Poole, both of whom are black, have also been accused of falsely imprisoning the driver during the fake stop.
The incident began just before 1 a.m. on Sunday, when the Sarasota Police Department (SPD) received a call that a fellow SPD officer seemed to be in distress in the 1200-block of 31st Street, the department said in a press release.
Officers responded to the area and ultimately spotted a vehicle equipped with a siren and red and blue lights in the windshield trying to pull over another motorist near Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Cocoanut Avenue.
Police made contact with the driver of the vehicle equipped with the lights and siren and identified her as 28-year-old McDowell, according to the press release.
The passenger was identified as 39-year-old Poole.
Investigators later determined the suspects had livestreamed a fake traffic stop on Facebook.
The video showed the women laughing hysterically while using the car’s intercom to order the driver to “exit the vehicle” and to throw their keys out of the car.
“Driver, if you do not exit right now, I’ll get the f—k out this car,” one of the suspects said before turning on the siren. “Driver, I said get the f—k out!”
The video showed the driver stepping out of the vehicle and facing the suspects.
“Get your f—king hands up!” one of the suspects ordered.
She then told the rest of the occupants to get out of the vehicle.
One of the occupants got out while recording the suspects with a cell phone.
“Do not make a move!” one of the suspects screamed wildly. “Anybody move, I will shoot! Black lives don’t f—king matter!”
She ordered the occupants of the vehicle they stopped to move to the right side of their car and told them to drop any objects they had.
“You better not f—king pull off!” she screamed, as some of the passengers got back into the vehicle. “I will shoot!”
The driver of the car they stopped then drove off, at which point the suspects began pursuing it with lights flashing.
The fleeing SUV pulled over again a moment later, turning in front of the women.
“I will shoot!” the suspect driving the fake police car yelled at them as she turned on the siren. “Get the f—k out the car now!”
The suspects then ordered the driver of the SUV to “save” themselves and said the passenger was the subject of a warrant, the video showed.
A third woman inside the suspect vehicle repeatedly warned McDowell and Poole that someone was going to call the “real” police on them, and they ultimately backed up and started to drive away as the clip ended.
Police said the victims did not know the suspects.
SPD detectives said they believe Poole and McDowell have also pulled over and threatened other motorists while pretending to be law enforcement officers.
“This wasn’t Sarasota police officers pulling over a car,” SPD Chief Bernadette DiPino said in the press release. “These were people who were pretending to be law enforcement officers and putting fear into innocent victims and residents of our community. If you ever suspect if someone is pulling you over that you feel isn’t a law enforcement officer, call 911 to validate the traffic stop.”
Poole and McDowell have been arrested on multiple charges, including false imprisonment, impersonating a law enforcement officer, and unrelated thefts that occurred in Manatee County, the Bradenton Herald reported.
Watch the incident unfold in the video below. Warning – Obscene Language:
