ManitobaA Winnipeg man has been charged with masquerading as an RCMP officer during a break-in north of Winnipeg early Friday, RCMP say.’This person did not put a whole lot of effort into his appearance,’ says RCMP Insp. Chris LambertOzten Shebahkeget · CBC News · Posted: Nov 21, 2025 6:18 PM EST | Last Updated: 11 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Police say a man pretending to be an RCMP officer was wearing these items during a Friday morning break-in. (Manitoba RCMP)A Winnipeg man has been charged with masquerading as an RCMP officer during a break-in in West St. Paul early Friday, RCMP say.Around 2:45 a.m., Mounties were called to a Nye Avenue home in the rural municipality, just north of Winnipeg, after receiving a report of a break-in, RCMP said in a news release.Officers found the homeowner and two children in a vehicle in her home’s driveway.The woman told police an unknown man fled the residence after she confronted him in a hallway, adding that he was wearing police clothing and had identified himself as a police officer.The man was wearing a jacket with RCMP embroidery and a baseball cap that said “police” on it, and was carrying two duffel bags, police say.Selkirk RCMP Insp. Chris Lambert says officers were searching for the man near the home when he emerged from a treed area on a roadway, right in front of their vehicle.No one was physically hurt in the incident, and the man fled the home without taking any items, police say.The 32-year-old is charged with breaking and entering, and personating a peace officer.Lambert stressed that RCMP do not want the public to be alarmed by the incident, calling it “very rare.”The man’s clothing was seized, and police say neither the jacket or the baseball hat were uniform items issued by the RCMP or any other police service.”This person did not put a whole lot of effort into his appearance, aside from identifying himself as a police officer,” Lambert said.He says there was initially suspicion the man’s clothing items may have been counterfeit, “but they seemed to bear a bona fide manufacturer’s tag, and that’s what leads me to believe that it was probably something that was recently stolen from a retailer.”RCMP say this is the attire that their officers will typically be seen wearing. (Manitoba RCMP)Such incidents can erode public trust in police, he said, adding that officers should be “instantly recognizable” to the public.”It’s frustrating because you feel you have to repair that confidence, when you did nothing to [harm] it.”RCMP are reminding Manitobans that officers responding to calls for service, in most cases, will be in full uniform, including a protective vest that says “police” on the front, a duty belt with items like a firearm and handcuffs, a forage cap with a distinctive yellow band, and pants with a distinctive yellow stripe.The uniform can vary depending on the unit responding.Anyone with concerns about the identity of a police officer they’re interacting with can ask the officer for identification, or contact their local detachment’s non-emergency line to determine if there is a police officer at their location.
Man accused of posing as officer during break-in ‘did not put a whole lot of effort into his appearance’: RCMP
