FIFE, Wash. — A man accused of circling a Ukrainian grocery store while pretending to be an agent with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been arrested after several tips from the Fife community.
On March 16, around 5 p.m., Fife Police responded to a 911 call of a “suspicious vehicle” at the Emish Market on 70th Avenue E. Callers said the vehicle looked like a law enforcement SUV and that it had no license plates but had a prominent ICE emblem on the side of the car, as well as a pseudo-seal of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, suggesting it was a federal immigration agent. There were apparent misspellings on the emblem.
“The vehicle’s presence appeared intentional, targeting a Ukrainian grocery store; indicating a deliberate effort to intimidate and draw attention to itself. Witnesses reported that the occupant(s) were recording employees and customers on video, causing alarm and concern,” Fife police wrote.
There were reports that the driver was honking the horn and that the person inside was video recording the event. The vehicle also was reported to have circled the lot several times and blocked a driveway.
The vehicle left before police got to the store.
“People got a little bit nervous, ‘cause they don’t know what to expect,” said Emish store manager, Olena Ray, when the incident initially happened.
“It’s a personal intimidation for people who were just not born here,” Ray said. “When someone is harassing you this way, it doesn’t make it easier to work peacefully, you know, live in a society where we paying taxes when you know we expect to be treated the same way.”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) later confirmed that the vehicle was not an official DHS unit. As a result, the FPD Criminal Investigations Division initiated an investigation with the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle field offices.
When a bulletin with vehicle information went out, Tukwila Police identified it as one of their former patrol cars that had been removed from their fleet after being involved in a crash. It was deemed a “total loss” by their insurance and was sold to a private buyer after being taken out of service.
“It should be noted that selling used police vehicles is a common practice; however, it is only done after all law enforcement equipment, emblems, and decals have been removed,” Fife police clarified.
With the information from Tukwila PD and tips from the public, police arrested a 26-year-old Washington man. The suspect is not employed by any law enforcement agency.
He was arrested for second-degree criminal impersonation.
“Criminal impersonation —intentionally creating the impression of acting in an official capacity as a law enforcement officer and causing the community to feel harassed— is a serious crime. Such actions create unnecessary challenges for all law enforcement agencies, regardless of jurisdiction, and pose obstacles to effective public safety. There is also a real danger to the individual perpetrating the impersonation,” Fife police said.
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