BOISE COUNTY -- Two men, who Boise County authorities say targeted Ada County drivers traveling along through Horseshoe Bend, are now behind bars.
Chief Deputy Dale Rogers with the Boise County Sheriff's Office said the suspects used a Toyota pickup truck outfitted with flashing lights to pull over three vehicles early Monday morning.
Here's what police say happened:
The first call came into police dispatch at 4 a.m. Rogers said a woman called to report two men in a truck, who she said were impersonating police officers, appeared intoxicated and were trying to intimidate people.
At 4:30 a.m. a second call came from a man from Washington state who was traveling through Horseshoe Bend with his girlfriend and a 5-year-old child. The man told dispatch that he was stopped by the men in the truck, attacked and feared for his life.
During the fake traffic stop, one man came to the driver's side window and asked for his driver's license. The woman inside the car told the man that he was not a police officer. At that point the suspicious man went back to the truck to get his accomplice. The male driver got out of the car and confronted the two men, who then attacked him.
"They were absolutely terrified that these guys were going to hurt them, injure them, and hurt the baby," said Rogers.
The victim managed to get back in his car and head north on Highway 55. The two men in the truck followed, trying to force them off of the road. Rogers said they even passed the victim's car, turned around and came back toward the victims in the same lane. After forcing them off the road, the pickup drove off, heading south back towards Horseshoe Bend.
A short while later a third vehicle was pulled over. This time, an Idaho State Police trooper was nearby and responded. The trooper chased the men, and they led police to their very own homes on Riverside Drive.
Rogers said the truck was registered to 21-year-old Lloyd Asher. He went to Asher's home and knocked on the door. A woman answered and the deputy told her to get Asher. He was questioned but said the truck was parked all night. While the 17 year old ran on foot, Asher told police he was asleep.
"He was very uncooperative, in your face, wanted to fight, and just not a good deal," said Rogers.
Investigators learned the other man in the truck was a 17-year-old boy who lived with his grandparents across the street from Asher's residence. Rogers said the teen sneaked into his home early that morning. The teen told police he was with Asher.
Both men were taken by ISP troopers to their headquarters in Meridian for further questioning. Rogers said they both confessed to their crimes.
Asher was booked into the Ada County Jail on charges of impersonating an officer, battery, eluding police and possession of a firearm under the influence.
The juvenile, who was driving the truck, is charged with driving under the influence, impersonating a police officer, battery, eluding police and possession of a firearm while under the influence. Rogers said the teen's blood-alcohol content was measured at .16, which is twice the legal limit. He was booked into the Ada County Detention Center and will be arraigned Tuesday.
When asked why the men stopped cars on the highway, Rogers told KTVB the two men said they were hired to clean up trash at a gas station in town. They claimed that most of the litter came from Ada County residents, and they wanted to "make an impression" on those people.
So what should you do if you're being pulled over?
Rogers says you need to know your rights.
If you are pulled over by a marked car and the officer is uniformed, listen to their commands.
However, if you are pulled over by an unmarked car, and you don’t see a blue light, you do have the right to drive to a well-lit area or to the nearest police station if you feel uncomfortable.
If someone is wearing civilian clothing and it doesn’t seem right, police say you can use caution.
“No badges, no I.D., if they don’t have any of that then of course don’t get out of the car,” said Rogers.
You can always call dispatch and ask who is attempting to pull you over.
