(Newser)
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A Los Angeles school police officer who sparked a huge manhunt last week after saying he had been shot by a suspect has admitted it was a hoax, police sources say. Officer Jeff Stenroos has been arrested and charged with filing a false police report. Stenroos—whose bulletproof vest showed signs of damage—came up with the story after shooting himself while mishandling a firearm, sources tell the Los Angeles Times.
Nine schools were locked down and a large area of a suburban neighborhood was blocked off while hundreds of officers searched for the suspect Stenroos described. Authorities offered a $100,000 reward for the suspect's arrest. "The law enforcement community is disgusted," the president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League said. "While Mr. Stenroos is a disgrace to his badge, his individual and dangerous actions should not reflect on the hardworking men and women in law enforcement."
