HOUSTON – Harris County officers are searching for a man who impersonated an officer Thursday morning.
Around 2:30 a.m., Sgt. J. Leal with Harris County Precinct 7 pulled over a car on West Orem Drive at River Bluff Drive for a traffic violation.
As the sergeant approached the car, the driver flashed a badge at the sergeant and said he was with the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
Sgt. Leal ran the car's license plate and realized the car was stolen.
"When I came back and asked what department he worked out at Harris County, he became really nervous and started shaking," said Sgt. Leal.
According to investigators, the officer then told the driver to step out of the car. The man refused, stepped on the gas pedal and took off.
The sergeant chased the car down River Bluff Drive. When the road came to a "T" at Summit Ridge Drive, the driver couldn't make the turn and skidded into a pickup truck that was parked on the side of the road.
The impact pushed the truck into a yard and damaged the wheels.
The suspect jumped out of the car and pointed a gun at the homeowner, who had walked outside after hearing a loud crash.
When the homeowner ran back inside his house, the suspect took off running.
He sprinted through several back yards and was last seen near a bayou.
The Houston Police Department was called to assist in the search but weren't able to find the man.
Precinct 7 deputies say the chase started after a sergeant saw the driver of the gray Toyota go through the E-Z tag lane on the tollway without paying.