Spokane man arrested for impersonating law enforcement
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 7 months, 3 weeks AGO
A Spokane man allegedly attempted to impersonate a law enforcement officer near Leavenworth and was arrested near Quincy.
COURTESY PHOTO/WASHINGTON STATE PATROL
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | May 12, 2025 3:00 AM
QUINCY — A Spokane man was booked into the Chelan County Regional Jail on suspicion of second-degree criminal impersonation after he allegedly attempted to stop a car by pretending to be a police officer May 8.
Ronald Cowin, 62, was arrested near Quincy by a Washington State Patrol trooper, according to a WSP press release. Cowin allegedly had used red and blue flashing lights in his car to attempt to pull another car over.
The incident was reported at about 6:30 p.m. May 8 on the Chumstick Highway near Leavenworth. The reporting party said a silver Crown Victoria had followed the car, turning on flashing lights apparently mounted in the dash. The victim tried to pull over, but the driver of the Crown Victoria drove past, the press release said.
The reporting party encountered the Crown Victoria again near Dryden and got a picture of it when its driver attempted to stop the reporting party again. About half an hour later, a WSP trooper from Moses Lake saw a vehicle matching the description and followed it, stopping it near the intersection of White Trail Road and State Route 281, about five miles south of Quincy, the press release said.
“(Attempted impersonation of a police officer) is not very common at all,” said Jeremy Weber, WSP public information officer for District Six.
While it’s uncommon, Weber said there are some steps people can take if they think the person trying to pull them over might not be a real law enforcement officer.
“The important part is to stay calm and not try to flee,” Weber said.
Drivers should put flashers on, drive at or below the speed limit to a public and well-lit location, he said.
“Call 911 immediately,” he said.
Dispatchers will be able to tell drivers whether or not that’s a law enforcement officer, he said. Drivers shouldn’t stop until the dispatcher can confirm it’s a legitimate law enforcement officer. If it’s legit, the driver should stop and explain their concerns to law enforcement.
“They will address your concerns, readily identify themselves and let you know the reason for the original contact,” the WSP release said.
If the dispatchers can’t confirm that, drivers should keep moving, stay on the line, ask for law enforcement and drive to a safe location like a fire station or police department.
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Outgoing Othello mayor says time in office taught some lessons
OTHELLO — Outgoing Othello Mayor Shawn Logan said his time in office has reinforced some things he already knew and taught him some new lessons, too. “Othello has nice people in it. Really good people. And we really are a family-friendly, youth sports, agriculture, largely Hispanic community,” he said. “I got to know my community better. And the other thing that I was learning is that this town has a lot of kids in it.” Logan was defeated earlier this year in a bid for his fourth term as mayor. He was first elected to the mayor’s job in 2014. Logan said his motivation was to help Othello grow and improve, and that continued to be his focus. The question, he said, was how to do it.
Stevens Pass set to partially reopen
STEVENS PASS — A section of US Highway 2 will reopen Monday for daytime use, with a pilot car, but other sections of the road remain closed. A detour will be available for people trying to access the east section of Highway 2 from Leavenworth.
Winter temperatures to arrive and stay for a while
MOSES LAKE — All those mild days in November and December? All those 50-degree afternoons? Well, as people may have noticed, that late fall weather is going away, at least for the time being. Joey Clevenger, meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Spokane, said weather patterns are starting to push cold air into Eastern and Central Washington.