Officer Eric Michl sent a selfie and a text message to an Uber driver accused of extorting money from a woman who had left her purse in his car. (KCPQ)
SEATTLE – An Uber driver who was demanding money before returning a woman’s purse quickly changed his mind Sunday after a Seattle officer sent him a text and a selfie, police said.
The woman contacted officer Eric Michl on Capitol Hill around 2 a.m., saying she’d left her purse, wallet and ID in the Uber.
She was distraught because she was scheduled to fly home later that day, and worried she wouldn’t be able to without her identification, according to KCPQ. She said she had called the driver and offered to pay his fare if he brought her things back, but he refused and demanded more money.
Michl called the driver and left a voicemail. Then, he sent a text, telling the driver he could be arrested and his car could be impounded if he didn’t return the woman’s purse.
To prove he was a police officer, Michl also sent a selfie.
The driver quickly brought the woman’s purse back, saying he’d been busy taking other fares.
