Police: Woman sexually assaulted by man pretending to be officer

According to investigators, the assault happened at about 6 p.m. Wednesday on Bragg Boulevard between Fayetteville and Spring Lake.

The victim told police that she was driving toward Spring Lake when she was stopped by a tan or gold four-door car with a blue light on the dash. The victim said the suspect approached her, asked for her driver's license and and registration and told her he stopped her for speeding.

The man told the victim to get out of her vehicle, forced her into a nearby wooded area and sexually assaulted her, police said.

The suspect is described as a clean-shaven white man standing about 5 feet 7 inches tall. Police said he was in the late-20 to early 30s and has a medium build. During the incident, the suspect was said to be wearing black or dark-colored pants with a burgundy stripe down the legs, a grey button up short-sleeve shirt with a collar. The shirt had unidentified patches on both sleeves.

Police said the man also wore black-framed sunglasses and a "Smokey Bear" type hat. He was armed, although the victim said the man was not wearing a police-type duty belt, and he did not have a badge or name plate on his shirt.

Detectives with the Fayetteville Police Department and U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command at Fort Bragg are investigating the incident.

Anyone with information about the incident should call the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command at 910-635-1758 or Crime Stoppers at 910-483-8477.

Fayetteville police said anyone who has doubt about whether they are being pulled over by a real law enforcement officer should slow down under the posted speed limit, move into a right-hand travel lane, turn on their emergency flashers and drive to a well-lit location with people around.

Citizens can also call 911 to confirm that a law enforcement officer is behind them.