LAUSD Officer Found Guilty in Shooting Hoax

Back on January 19^th, an L.A. Unified School District (LAUSD) officer said that he was shot after a burglary. A little over a week later the eight-year veteran of the LAUSD police force was arrested on the suspicion that he filed a false police report. Most recently, on September 12^th, he was found guilty of faking his own shooting.

According to NBC News, before being taken into custody and ordered to undergo a psychological exam, Stenroos was convicted of four felonies and one misdemeanor.

A sixth charge in the case is also under review.

As noted in a LAUSD statement, LAUSD Superintendent John Deasy plans to recommend to the Board of Education that Stenroos be removed as a police officer and district employee.

“Mr. Stenroos is a disgrace to the Los Angeles School Police Department, and this District,” said Deasy. “Since he has been found guilty of five of six counts in a court of law, our legal team can proceed more quickly with the required processes needed to end the officer’s employment.”

According to the District Attorney’s office, Stenroos was found guilty on felony charges that include insurance fraud, workers’ compensation fraud, preparing false documentary evidence and planting false evidence. He was also found guilty on one misdemeanor count of was falsely reporting an emergency.

During his closing arguments he stated, “Just like a kid at Halloween, he put on a costume that day,” Nunez said Monday during closing arguments.

“This was one man that was, shown through the evidence, addicted to lying,” Deputy District Attorney Paul Nunez said after the verdicts were read.

Stenroos faked his own shooting when he was on the perimeter of El Camino Real High School. He told officers he had been shot once in the chest by a burglary suspect while wearing a protective vest.

Stenroos was treated and released at a local hospital, while his report prompted an eight-square-mile search for a gunman in the Woodland Hills area.

Stenroos even went so far as to provide information for a sketch of the subject.

Nine schools were locked down for hours. Total cost of the manhunt was about $361,000.

He pleaded not guilty to all charges.

“Jeff Stenroos should have stopped the lie,” Nunez said, “Even if it was an accidental shooting, it is still fraud. He is still guilty of all these charges.”

It wasn’t until about a week after the shooting that an LAPD investigation led authorities to believe that Stenroos’ report, in which investigators cited “inconsistencies,” was a hoax.

Stenroos staged the shooting in order to gain media attention and time off with pay, prosecutors argued. But defense attorneys said Monday that there was no evidence backing allegations of a staged shooting.

Attorney Dennis Elber said, “The idea of a staged shooting is not only ludicrous, there is no evidence to support it.” It was an accidental discharge.”

Defense witnesses testified about Stenroos’ positive job evaluations.

Stenroos could face up to five years and eight months in prison when he goes back to court on December 14^th for his sentencing.