ALBURY Police are leaving "no stone unturned" in their search for a man who impersonated an officer and handcuffed a 15-year-old boy in Lavington's Heathwood Park on Wednesday.
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The man, who was described as being six feet tall and of Caucasian appearance, was wearing a white shirt, dark slacks and dress shoes.
He stopped the 15-year-old about 4.30pm, stated he was a police officer, and that he was arresting the boy.
After handcuffing the teenager behind his back, he was challenged by two passers-by, before fleeing across nearby Bungambrawatha Creek and down Bindi Court.
Detective Inspector Winston Woodward said it was an extremely serious offence.
“I’m appealing to any members of the public, due to the seriousness of the offences this man has committed in handcuffing a 15-year-old boy behind the back and purporting to be a police officer,” he said.
“Anybody who can come forward, any little bit of information, may go towards finding out the identity of this male.”
The boy, who was walking his dog at the time, was not injured in the incident.
Police believe the man is not a threat to the public at this stage.
Detective Inspector Woodward praised the two people who challenged the man.
“You can imagine the fear of being arrested, by a person who is not a police officer and being handcuffed behind the back,” he said.
“After he was handcuffed the two Good Samaritans, and I thank them for their assistance, came forward and challenged the man as to his identity.
“There are a lot of users of that park, if they have seen any suspicious behaviour in the last two days, please come forward no matter how little you think the information is.
“It is bordering and kidnapping and detaining, for whatever advantage we do not know.
“As with all child approaches, we are taking it very seriously, but in a case where a 15-year-old has been handcuffed, we’re leaving no stone unturned.
“This is a serious offence, and if not for those two Good Samaritans who came forward and challenged the man, it is unknown what motive this offender would have had in his mind.”
Police are also appealing for any residents with CCTV cameras at their homes to review their footage, particularly anybody in the Bindi Court area.
“We do not have any CCTV footage at this time, however we are hunting the area,” Detective Inspector Woodward said.
“I’m appealing for anybody with CCTV on their premises, along the Bindi Court area and the area surrounding there, to review their footage and see if they’ve captured this man running along the street.”
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