California Parking Lot Shooting: Officer Hoax
Seven square miles of the San Fernando Valley were shut down a few weeks ago after a LA school police officer claimed he had been shot in the parking lot. Cops spent days searching for a suspect only to have the officer confess that he had made the whole thing up.
The LAPD is still investigating what exactly happened, though the school police officer claims he discharged his duty weapon on accident. According to the LA Times, they are continuing to interview and look at evidence to see if there is more to the story.
Detectives apparently became suspicious when the wounded officer’s story changed as he told it. Inconsistencies in how the events of that afternoon unfolded made them curious about the officer’s integrity.
He was shot in the chest but had been wearing a bullet proof vest, saving him from much more significant injury. He now faces charges of making a false report though the investigation is said to be ongoing.
Some sources, speaking under anonymity have said it appears as if the officer has been avoiding detectives who are trying to get to the bottom of the situation, though he did confess to making to story up. They are said to be looking into whether his personal life may have played a role in the shooting and if it even occurred at the school as the officer claims.
Filing a false report with police is pretty serious. When you are a cop, it’s even more serious. Records like police reports often make up the bulk of evidence in a criminal case. And when an officer is found to be lying as an alleged victim, who’s to say he has acted with complete integrity in those reports he may have filed throughout his career.
The integrity of officers rarely gets questioned at trial. However, there are circumstance where an officer’s version of events simply doesn’t line up with other evidence and other witness accounts. It’s in situations like these that a criminal defense attorney can bring attention to such inconsistencies, casting doubt on the reliability of an officer’s testimony.
Police officers are human. They too make errors. Ensuring all of the puzzle pieces, including officer testimony, fit together properly in your case is a big part of building a criminal defense strategy.
If you are facing criminal charges in California and are unsure how the police report and other evidence could affect the outcome, contact our offices today for a free consultation.
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