Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Too embarrassed to admit shooting was unintentional, false reports cost taxpayers thousands of dollars

Two stories, one from Florida, one from Maryland, concerning people who didn't want to admit a shooting was their fault and decided instead to cast the blame elsewhere. The result is a colossal waste of police resources and dollars, all at the expense of taxpayers.
A Florida mother concocted a story about a drive-by shooting in order to cover up the real cause of her daughter's gunshot wounds. The 2-year-old was shot in the hand and thigh by another child during a birthday party. The mother told police the child was a victim of a drive-by shooting. Police spent 130 hours searching for a white Dodge Charger.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office estimated the search cost $2,458.
A Maryland man admitted to making up a story about a home invasion in order to cover up the fact that he accidentally shot himself. The man told police that two men broke into his home and shot him. In an effort to find the home invaders, police brought in a Maryland State Police helicopter and canines. As a precaution, schools in the area were locked down.
Police did not give estimates as to the cost of the extensive search, but did say that "charges will probably be forthcoming" against the man for filing a false report.
Ohh shoot.

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