Warning issued for fake k-9 cop by Dearborn Heights police

(WJBK) - A man accused of posing as a k-9 officer prompted a Dearborn Heights police Facebook post warning folks about him.

A police sergeant says the man hasn't tried to do this in their town that they know of, but they wanted to spread the word by giving folks a good look at him.

Blake Purvis is seen in online social media posts wearing a hat and a shirt with k-9 written on it. In other photos a vehicle has police lights on it and another vehicle decal might look legit but nope, police say it's not.

This prompted an online warning that said: 'Attention all Dearborn Heights citizens keep your eyes open for this guy! He is not a real police officer, let alone a k-9 officer!'

Detroit neighborhood activist Jonathan Pommerville says he encountered the fake officer routine and confronted Blake Purvis about it.

"Oh Lord, what a mess," he said. "We ran into him in January. The blue SUV he was driving around had a k-9 dog, a German shepherd decal on the window with a blue line across it. I questioned him about it and he says it's none of your darn business. So I let him go, I didn't know what to do about it."

Joe Matney says he was actually pulled over by Purvis while Matney patrolled the Warrendale neighborhood in Detroit.

"I turned around looking, you know, and all of a sudden the siren came on," Matney said. "I was like; we're getting pulled over."

Matney says the man claimed to be a cop, he knew something was wrong when he didn't know where they were.

"He comes out there and he's going did you know those lights are illegal here in Dearborn," Matney said. "I said well that's nice, I said I can have a Detroit police officer here right away because we are actually in Detroit right now."

Purvis is all over the Facebook page Feeding Detroit and Downriver where he reportedly gives out food and supplies to the homeless.

"It’s sad because it he really straightened out, he could really do something great for the city of Detroit and Downriver," Pommerville said.

The organization "Feeding Detroit and Downriver" posted Wednesday that Purvis met with Michigan State Police and wasn't charged with anything. 

FOX 2 reached out to state police Wednesday afternoon and they said they are aware of him and looking into this.