Outrage, disappointment over police officer who allegedly lied about being shot
School and police officials expressed outrage and disappointment on Friday over allegations that Los Angeles School Police Department Officer Jeff Stenroos lied about being shot by an assailant outside El Camino Real High School last week.
Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Ramon Cortines issued an apology, noting that the shooting case caused thousands of students to be under lockdown for hours.
"On behalf of the thousands of dedicated professionals that comprise the Los Angeles Unified School District, I would like to apologize to the public for the hoax that was perpetrated by a rogue officer of the Los Angeles School Police," Cortines said in a statement. "Thousands of people were inconvenienced by the actions of this one man. I want to again apologize to everyone who was alarmed, who worked long hours and who were adversely affected by his actions."
Cortines said the LAUSD has relieved Stenroos of duty and begun the process of firing him.
"Although Jeff Stenroos was an eight-year veteran of the Los Angeles School Police, his actions in no way reflect the professionalism and integrity of the men and women who protect and serve this District every day," he added.
Paul M. Weber, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, said Stenroos was a "disgrace."
"The law enforcement community is disgusted," Weber said in a statement. "While Mr. Stenroos is a disgrace to the badge, his individual and dangerous actions should not reflect on the hard-working men and women in law enforcement."
Police announced Thursday that Stenross' story of being shot was a concocted. Stenroos has been booked on a felony charge of filing a false police report, and was released on $20,000 bail Friday morning.
Police had said Stenroos was shot in the chest Jan. 19 after he confronted a man who was attempting to break into vehicles near the eastern boundary of the El Camino Real High School campus. Stenroos' bulletproof vest absorbed the impact of a single gunshot, which Los Angeles Police Department officials said could easily have killed the officer.
The incident sparked a massive police response that inconvenienced thousands of people for the day as officers blocked roads, locked down schools and refused to let people in or out of a 7-square-mile area.
Authorities arrested Stenroos after he allegedly admitted to fabricating the story, a senior LAPD official close to the investigation told The Times.
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-- Richard Winton, Joel Rubin and Andrew Blankstein
EDITOR'S PICKS:
The union will see to it that he is punished with a raise and a promotion.
Posted by: America is Failing | January 28, 2011 at 07:56 AM
I find it hard to believe that no one looked at his clothes or vest after he claimed to have been shot. Someone had to have noticed there wasn't a hole in his shirt or an impression on the vest. Very strange.
Posted by: Chuck | January 28, 2011 at 08:03 AM
for once, I'm pretty much speechless. My only real question is one that has been public commented on to death, but I must repeat it. If this was young Latino man or African American man who was shot, would the reponse be even 1/16th of what is was for this hoaxster? I doubt it. The rank and file police officers might want to re-think their priorities and question their commanders a bit more.
Posted by: phil | January 28, 2011 at 08:04 AM
His problem is nobody would believe the truth, and maybe he doesn’t believe it himself. The shooter was an older white guy, and he did shoot himself. Both are true. His older self came back from the future to kill his younger self, but once the older self killed the younger self, then the older self never existed so couldn’t come back to kill the younger self. The chain of events is impossible, so the bullet stopped right before killing the younger self in the only conclusion to the even possible.
Posted by: Yogi | January 28, 2011 at 08:05 AM
how much did this hoax cost? He needs to pay it back.
Posted by: sage | January 28, 2011 at 08:06 AM
Unfortunately, this is not a "rogue" officer. I have seen that police officers lie regularly. Lying appears to be the norm for police officers and honesty is what you find in a rare rogue officer. I've watched police officers lie, under oath, one after another to cover for a fellow officer. I've watched police officers lie about assaulting people, lie about swearing at people, lie about planting drugs.
I grew up in a white, middle-class neighborhood in Los Angeles. I grew up respecting our police force. The police had my respect to lose.
They lost it.
Posted by: Reader Ryan | January 28, 2011 at 08:10 AM
An LAPD officer? Lying? Get out of town! Never in a million years would I expect an LAPD officer of LYING! (cough, cough, heavy sarcasm, cough cough)
Posted by: BGko | January 28, 2011 at 08:12 AM
Wow, what a putz!
Posted by: Mike | January 28, 2011 at 08:12 AM
Disgrace!
Posted by: Big Game Hunter | January 28, 2011 at 08:21 AM
Why do police everywhere appear to be out of control? Too zealous in enforcing unconstitutional laws? Unions as apologists? To Serve and Protect?
Keystone costs?
Posted by: contraryjim | January 28, 2011 at 08:26 AM
Why the outrage? At least he LAPD dealt with it.
Beats the CHP's "circling of the wagons" after an identical incident in south OC.
Or their hiding a murderer in a closet for 2 years after she lied to investigators.
Posted by: JC in OC | January 28, 2011 at 08:26 AM
So who the heck shot him? Did he shoot himself? Was a bullet recovered from his bullet proof vest or a shell casing found?
Posted by: S.G. | January 28, 2011 at 08:27 AM
Is anyone besides me wondering how he successfully "fabricated" the story? He claimed to have been shot in the chest, into his bulletproof vest. Wouldn't there be a bullet hole in his shirt? Wouldn't the vest have a big dent in it?
How is it that at no time during the 9 hour situation, no one else in the police department asked him to see his shirt and vest, to see the damage caused by the alleged bullet?
Seems pretty cut and dried to me:
"I got shot in the chest, but my vest stopped it."
"Oh yeah? Let's see the bullet hole and damage."
"Ummmmm, well, it's ummm..."
"You're lying? You're under arrest, case closed".
Shouldn't a conversation like that have been had before locking thousands of kids down in their schools?
So glaring is this question, that it needs to be investigated and answered by the LA Times. It's what you get paid to do- start by answering the obvious, glaring questions first.
We get an article full of obvious statements by the police spokesmen. Who cares about that. It's like reporting, "Due to gravity, something fell and hit the ground". Right, we expect that to happen, like we expect LAPD brass to make obvious excuses and apologies. Save the ink for information that's less predictable and use it to answer real questions.
Posted by: JA | January 28, 2011 at 08:30 AM
That a stupid cop (and most are of below average intelligence) would do such a thing is unbelievable. But even more unbelievable is that these bozos still think the lockdown was a good idea. Talk about the proverbial barndoor. It is truly frightening that these mental midgets are armed and amongst us.
Posted by: Joe | January 28, 2011 at 08:31 AM
So who shot him? His wife? His gay lover? What a loser.
Posted by: Henry Whatev | January 28, 2011 at 08:35 AM
Amazing! Now I know we live in good neighborhood. If cops from boredom start shooting themselves to create some action
Posted by: Roman | January 28, 2011 at 08:41 AM
Does the LAPD actually think that we the people believe that this fabrication of a crime by this cop is unusual. LOL, please these are the same lies that cops fabricate everyday to cover their own improprieties or their partners. Lying seems to be part of the job description for being a cop!
Posted by: The Searcher | January 28, 2011 at 08:41 AM
There's no mention of the officer's motive for doing such a thing. Did he, himself, say what it was during his confession, or do his superiors have an idea of what it was? In any case, this should have been addressed, even if only to say that his motive is unknown at this point. It's a glaring hole in the story.
Posted by: Thatwood B. Telling | January 28, 2011 at 08:41 AM
"Paul M. Weber, president of the Los Angeles Police Protective League, said Stenroos was a "disgrace."
"The law enforcement community is disgusted," Weber said in a statement. "While Mr. Stenroos is a disgrace to the badge, his individual and dangerous actions should not reflect on the hard-working men and women in law enforcement."
He should apologize to the taxpayers he dennounced who criticized this over-time drama when it happened.
Posted by: upwingwe | January 28, 2011 at 08:42 AM
This criminal, should go to prison, pay for the ridiculous overkill that is the LA police department, and absolutely, positively NO PENSION.
Posted by: mrbwood | January 28, 2011 at 08:50 AM
So what happened to the eye witness who supposedly called in on te radio? And that poor guy who was taken into custody at Topanga and Ventura? This is CRAZY and i also hope the LAT regrets some of its inflammatory headlines about violence wracking LA schools for the second straight day. While inflammatory and misleading then, now it looks just plain stupid.
Posted by: Trudi | January 28, 2011 at 08:51 AM
WOW, sad sistuation, why on earth would he do such a thing?
Posted by: Shame | January 28, 2011 at 08:52 AM
I'm pretty sure the police union will find a way where this officer will still keep his pension...
Posted by: Goobies | January 28, 2011 at 08:56 AM
The police must of felt that the story was false. And this guy wilted under questioning and came forth with the truth.
Posted by: Papi | January 28, 2011 at 08:56 AM
lawsuit against police?
Posted by: Doug | January 28, 2011 at 08:56 AM