Police say Philly-area officer’s shooting was hoax

Authorities in suburban Philadelphia say a reported shooting of a police officer during an early morning traffic stop was a hoax.

Police and prosecutors in Bucks County allege that Chalfont police officer Jon Cousin staged the episode himself.

Cousin told dispatchers that he was shot while investigating a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot of a swim club at about 3:15 a.m. Monday.

But District Attorney David Heckler told reporters during a news conference last night that evidence at the scene didn’t support the story, and bullet casings didn’t match the fragment found in the officer’s vest.

Heckler said Cousin was arrested and faced charges including making false reports to police; a listed number for him could not be found yesterday and it was unclear whether he had an attorney.