A California sheriff’s deputy was charged Friday with staging a drive-by shooting last January, according to a release from the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
Santa Clara County Deputy Sukhdeep Gill claimed he was ambushed by a passing car on a routine patrol last year while stopping by the side of the road to urinate. He claimed he had been shot and shortly afterwards used the emergency broadcast button to indicate that the shooting had taken place. The incident led to a manhunt for the alleged attacker.
At the time of the incident, agents from the sheriff’s office and San Jose, Morgan Hill, and Gilroy Police Department responded.
Respondents noted last year that Gill suffered no serious injuries after the alleged incident. The only damage turned out to be to his body camera, where he claimed he was shot.
Gill also stated that he fired back at a silver sedan that had been there when it fled the scene.
However, an investigation into the incident found serious “discrepancies in the deputy bill” and issued a warrant against Gill, leading to his arrest on Friday.
The officer, who has been with the department since 2016, is charged with felony vandalism and falsely reporting.
“This case is baffling and deeply disappointing,” prosecutor Jeff Rosen said in the statement. “Deputy Gill’s actions abused the trust of his fellow officers and diverted public security resources from protecting the community to investigate a fabricated crime.”