LOS ANGELES (AP) — A school policeman who claimed to have been shot while on patrol, sparking a massive manhunt and a school lockdown, was convicted Monday of fraud and other offenses for making the whole thing up.
In a non-jury trial, Superior Court Judge Richard H. Kirschner convicted Officer Jeff Stenroos of felony counts of planting false evidence, insurance fraud, giving false evidence, workers compensation fraud and a misdemeanor count of making a false report of an emergency.
The 31-year-old officer was ordered detained without bail and led from the courtroom in handcuffs. As he left, he turned to his wife and mouthed, "Love you."
Stenroos could face more than five years in prison at his Dec. 14 sentencing.
The case stems from an emergency call Stenroos made Jan. 19 in which he claimed a ponytailed car burglary suspect shot him in his bulletproof vest as he was patrolling in his car outside the El Camino Real High School campus.
The report prompted the lockdown of 9,000 students for hours while police delayed traffic and searched for a suspect.
More than a week later, Stenroos told investigators that he accidentally shot himself while cleaning a personal handgun in his office.
According to a transcript of his statement, Stenroos said: "I don't even know how it happened, it discharged."
The judge did not make a ruling on another charge of making a false report to school police. He has given lawyers until next month to present additional information on that count.
