A Los Angeles School Police officer who faked his own shooting and triggered a massive, costly police manhunt in the San Fernando Valley has been found guilty.
Jeff Stenroos, 31, was convicted of five of the six counts against him in a non-jury trial, including planting false evidence, insurance fraud, giving false evidence, workers compensation fraud, and a misdemeanor count of making a false report of an emergency. He could face a sixth count from Van Nuys Superior Court Judge Richard N. Kirschner for filing a false police report.
Stenroos faces up to five years in prison at a Dec. 14 sentencing. Also, city officials are seeking more than $350,000 in restitution from Stenroos to cover the costs of the Jan. 19 dragnet, and the school district is seeking $58,000 in medical costs.
Stenroos initially claimed he was shot and then later told officers he had accidentally fired his weapon. Los Angeles police detectives eventually unravelled the story when ballistics tests didn't support his version of the story.
Source: Los Angeles Times
Related: Jeffrey Stenroos: Crying Wolf
