Man accused of posing as Hamilton police officer to steal from two victims

Hamilton police say the man in the photos they released is 25-year-old Andrew White who is charged with impersonating a police officer.

A 25-year-old man is accused of posing as a Hamilton police officer and stealing the personal property of two people.

Hamilton police said they received reports of two incidents on Monday involving the suspect.

The first one was in the area of Cannon Street East and Wellington Street North around 8 a.m.

After the victim exited a store, the suspect, who was in a black vehicle, called them over and allegedly informed them that he was an undercover officer.

Police said the suspect then told the victim that they matched a suspect’s descriptions, so they needed to surrender their wallet for identification purposes.

When the victim gave his wallet, the suspect fled, police said.

The other incident occurred at 9:30 a.m. near King and Ashley streets, where the same suspect approached another victim and allegedly identified himself again as an undercover police officer.

“The suspect told the victim they were being detained in relation to a bike theft investigation. He conducted a pat-down search and removed the victim’s cellphone and debit card,” police said in a news release on Thursday.

“The suspect indicated he needed to return to his vehicle to place the items in an evidence bag but did not return.”

Following an investigation, investigators were able to identify the suspect as 25-year-old Andrew White.

He has been arrested and charged with impersonating a peace officer, theft under $5,000 and unauthorized use of a credit card.

Hamilton police advised the public that legitimate officers will clearly identify themselves and wear identifiable police-issued clothing. Officers will also carry both a badge and an official warrant card.

“Members of the public have the right to request proper identification if they are approached,” police said.