A Los Angeles County deputy lied about a sniper shooting him and will lose his job.
Last week, the deputy claimed in a report he’d been shot by a hidden attacker from an apartment complex, setting off a manhunt in northern Los Angeles County, Buzzfeed News reports. However, a press conference on Saturday revealed that Deputy Angel Reynosa’s story was “completely fabricated,” according to Kent Wegener, captain of the Sheriff's homicide bureau.
In addition getting fired, Reynosa will face criminal charges. His falsified report will also be investigated by the district attorney’s office.
On Aug. 21, Reynosa alleged that he’d been in the police station parking lot when the sniper fired from a nearby apartment complex. The ensuing search involved a SWAT team securing the area—residents of the complex were also evacuated, roads closed, and public transit was redirected while Reynosa’s claims were examined. The manhunt for the fictional sniper went on for a whole day.
According to Wegener, there were discrepancies in his allegations from the start. Witnesses didn’t hear a gunshot, and no bullets were found at the scene where Reynosa claimed he was shot. The deputy had been sent to the hospital, but there wasn’t a gunshot wound on his shoulder. During an interview with authorities, Reynosa then confessed that he had faked the story and evidence of the attack.
“Angel Reynosa admitted that he was not shot at from the apartment complex area, as he previously claimed,” said Wegener during the press conference, per Buzzfeed. “He also told investigators that he had caused the holes in his uniform shirt by cutting it with a knife. There was no sniper, no shots fired, and no gunshot injuries sustained to his shoulder.”
“Reynosa failed to provide information regarding his motivation for this act," Wegener continued.
Wegener said Reynosa was a 21-year-old new deputy who was still being trained. He added that one of the charges against him could possibly be a false report of an emergency.
