An unidentified part-time police officer in Millis, Massachusetts was lying when he claimed that a motorist shot at his cruiser, WCVB-TV reported on Thursday.
"We have determined that the officer’s story was fabricated. Specifically, that he fired shots at his own cruiser as a plan to concoct a story that he was fired upon," Sgt. William Dwyer said at a press conference. "The evidence indicates the shots were not fired by a suspect, and there is no gunman at large in or around the town."
The 24-year-old officer said on Wednesday that someone driving a red or maroon pickup truck fired at him, causing him to crash into a tree. He said the vehicle then caught fire. NECN-TV reported that he has been working as a dispatcher for the department and was about to begin police academy training in order to become a full-time officer.
The alleged incident led to a manhunt by local SWAT team members, the state police and federal officials, with officers going door-to-door. Schools in the community, which is about 19 miles away from Boston, were closed on Thursday after the local middle school reported a bomb threat. No explosives were found on campus.
Dwyer said that ballistics testing showed that the officer was lying. The officer will be fired and face criminal charges, he said, and will also be identified once officials complete their investigation. No motive has been identified for the officer's actions. The cause of the vehicle fire remains unknown.
"I still am very upset and don't know exactly how to feel right now," the sergeant said.
Watch NECN's report, as aired on Thursday, below.
