# Manhunt for cop shooter turns out to be a hoax **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 28, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-for-cop-shooter-turns-out-to-be-a-hoax/569349 "2011-01-28T23:27:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fuzzypickles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9d8465/32.png) [@fuzzypickles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuzzypickles)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2011, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-for-cop-shooter-turns-out-to-be-a-hoax/569349/1 "2011-01-28T23:27:19Z")
Last week, a police officer was apparently shot in the chest by an unknown individual in the parking lot of El Camino Real High School, in the western San Fernando Valley. [Several schools were locked down](http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/01/thousands-trapped-inside-police-shooting-perimeter-in-woodland-hills.html), and the LAPD blocked off several major avenues as part of [the largest search perimeter in recent history](http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/01/woodland-hills-manhunt-is-one-of-largest-searches-in-recent-lapd-history.html). The suspect’s description was broadcast live throughout the day, but the guy was never found – presumably, he must’ve been a professional car thief who was crazy enough to shoot a fucking cop (or at least savvy enough to know the cop’s bulletproof vest would stop the bullet and buy him time to get away clean) but who knows? It’s been a scary week for all the locals. Well, guess what – the whole story, including the presumed suspect, [was a total fucking lie](http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/01/officers-story-of-being-shot-was-inconsistent-from-the-beginning-chief-beck-says.html): > [@L.A. Times](#): > > \*Police announced Thursday that officer Jeffrey Stenroos’ story of being shot was concocted. Stenroos has been booked on a felony charge of filing a false police report and was released on $20,000 bail Friday morning. > > “There were some inconsistencies that emerged early on,” LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said Friday. “It was just recently that we were able to get accurate information.” > > Beck said officials are trying to sort out what actually happened. The officer’s vest was hit by a bullet, but it’s unclear if the shooting took place near the school. Beck would not say whether detectives thought it was an accident. > > “The entire city was led down a path of misinformation,” the chief said.\* There are no words. There are no fucking words. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-for-cop-shooter-turns-out-to-be-a-hoax/569349/2 "2011-01-29T00:16:33Z")
Well, I hope there are _some_ words, because I don’t understand what happened. The cop got shot in the vest by somebody (maybe even himself?) and concocted some elaborate lie that quickly got away from him? ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-for-cop-shooter-turns-out-to-be-a-hoax/569349/3 "2011-01-29T01:30:56Z")
So either his gun accidentally discharged, or he was target shooting at his own vest? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-for-cop-shooter-turns-out-to-be-a-hoax/569349/4 "2011-01-29T01:37:17Z")
On this board, someone will be along eventually to defend the actions of the cop who staged the hoax. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-for-cop-shooter-turns-out-to-be-a-hoax/569349/5 "2011-01-29T01:50:42Z")
> [@JSexton](#): > > So either his gun accidentally discharged, or he was target shooting at his own vest? Or he wanted some time off (I presume being shot at would be a good reason for stress leave) or attention? ---
**Author:** ![koufax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7ea924/32.png) [@koufax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koufax)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-for-cop-shooter-turns-out-to-be-a-hoax/569349/6 "2011-01-29T01:57:58Z")
there is a rumor that he was having an affair and the husband of the woman shot him. ---
**Author:** ![fuzzypickles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9d8465/32.png) [@fuzzypickles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuzzypickles)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-for-cop-shooter-turns-out-to-be-a-hoax/569349/7 "2011-01-29T02:00:34Z")
My guess is that his mother was mean to him and he didn’t want to get in trouble for accidentally dropping his gun. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-for-cop-shooter-turns-out-to-be-a-hoax/569349/8 "2011-01-29T02:05:02Z")
He shoulda just claimed somebody hit him with a golf club. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-for-cop-shooter-turns-out-to-be-a-hoax/569349/9 "2011-01-29T02:06:52Z")
> [@koufax](#): > > there is a rumor that he was having an affair and the husband of the woman shot him. Now that’s a rumor I can get behind! The only thing better would be some new sort of auto-erotic thingamabob. I’m sorry for all of the San Fernando Valley. It sucks when something happens that makes everybody freak but they should be happy there isn’t anything to freak out about. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-for-cop-shooter-turns-out-to-be-a-hoax/569349/10 "2011-01-29T02:20:50Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > He shoulda just claimed somebody hit him with a golf club. Or brandished one. On a nearby golf course. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-for-cop-shooter-turns-out-to-be-a-hoax/569349/11 "2011-01-29T02:44:39Z")
> [@koufax](#): > > there is a rumor that he was having an affair and the husband of the woman shot him. See, I was going for “did something stupid while bored on duty an accidentally shot himself.” ---
**Author:** ![buckgully](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb9ed0/32.png) [@buckgully](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buckgully)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-for-cop-shooter-turns-out-to-be-a-hoax/569349/12 "2011-01-29T03:44:10Z")
Oooh! I know! He traveled back in time and shot _himself_ to prevent his present-day self from falsely claiming that some car thief shot him. Science proves it. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-for-cop-shooter-turns-out-to-be-a-hoax/569349/13 "2011-01-29T03:58:17Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > On this board, someone will be along eventually to defend the actions of the cop who staged the hoax. WTF are you smoking? On this board, you’re lucky if you can make it a whole week without a thread bashing something a police officer did. And then you can wait for a couple years until you get a thread praising something a police officer did. NOTE TO THE BRAIN DEAD: This is not agreeing with what the police officer did, nor in any way a defense of any police misconduct that has now, or ever will in the future, occur. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-for-cop-shooter-turns-out-to-be-a-hoax/569349/14 "2011-01-29T04:39:50Z")
dere HAMELET NOT UNDESTAND TWYSTED SINTAX. PLEESE SIMPLEFY sincrely, TEH BRANE DEAD ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-for-cop-shooter-turns-out-to-be-a-hoax/569349/15 "2011-01-29T18:18:57Z")
Now **Drain Bead** is going to come along and get ticked off. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-for-cop-shooter-turns-out-to-be-a-hoax/569349/16 "2011-01-29T20:36:00Z")
Maybe we need a separate thread for: ‘oh good, and now all the X are going to come and say XYZ.’ ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-for-cop-shooter-turns-out-to-be-a-hoax/569349/17 "2011-01-29T20:42:20Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > Maybe we need a separate thread for: ‘oh good, and now all the X are going to come and say XYZ.’ A “usual suspects” reference usually accomplishes that, I suspect. ---
**Author:** ![BunnyTVS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BunnyTVS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BunnyTVS)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-for-cop-shooter-turns-out-to-be-a-hoax/569349/18 "2011-01-30T11:42:57Z")
> [@koufax](#): > > there is a rumor that he was having an affair and the husband of the woman shot him. I misread this the first time as “…having an affair with the husband of the woman who shot him.” I liked my version better 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-for-cop-shooter-turns-out-to-be-a-hoax/569349/19 "2011-01-30T14:26:05Z")
> [@Hamlet](#): > > WTF are you smoking? On this board, you’re lucky if you can make it a whole week without a thread bashing something a police officer did. And then you can wait for a couple years until you get a thread praising something a police officer did. > > NOTE TO THE BRAIN DEAD: This is not agreeing with what the police officer did, nor in any way a defense of any police misconduct that has now, or ever will in the future, occur. Hey fuck face, it’s not our fault if every week some piece of shit cop does something stupid/incompetent/criminal. ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-for-cop-shooter-turns-out-to-be-a-hoax/569349/20 "2011-01-30T15:03:23Z")
This happened in Alabama, up near Guntersville as I recall, about ten years ago, except the cop in question deliberately shot himself in the middle of his vest and claimed a black man shot him during a traffic shot. It was the same sort of pattern: 24 hours of news outrage at the violence, and then the story came out. On that occasion, it seemed to be some desperate cry for attention. I suspect that this is not entirely unheard of, as they clearly look at this possibility when they investigate. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manhunt-for-cop-shooter-turns-out-to-be-a-hoax/569349.md?page=2)