Judge Delays Trial of LAUSD Officer Charged In Faked Shooting

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A police officer for the Los Angeles Unified school district charged with filing a false report about being shot on duty told a judge on Wednesday that he needs more time to hire an attorney.

KNX 1070's Jon Baird reports Jeffrey Stenroos appeared by himself in his brief court appearance and afterward refused to answer any questions from the media

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Stenroos — who could face up to five years in state prison if convicted — is accused of faking his own shooting while patrolling the high school's perimeter on Jan. 19, and telling fellow officers that he had been shot once in the chest while wearing a bulletproof vest.

He was found on the ground by a passerby, who used Stenroos' police radio to call for help.

The officer's report sparked a massive manhunt involving hundreds of police officers and sheriff's deputies, resulting in the lockdown of nine schools that affected thousands of students, their parents and residents.

Students were restricted to their classrooms, with little food and no restroom breaks for up to six hours.

The full list of charges facing Stenroos includes perjury by declaration for saying he was shot on duty, filing a false report, preparing false documentary evidence, insurance fraud, and false report of an emergency.

Stenroos will be back in court next month.

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