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Police tightlipped about Stenroos motive

El Camino High School was on campus-wide lockdown twice in two weeks. Once was because a student brought a gun to school. L.A. police say the first time around, L.A. public schools officer Jeff Strenroos lied about taking a shot to the chest.
El Camino High School was on campus-wide lockdown twice in two weeks. Once was because a student brought a gun to school. L.A. police say the first time around, L.A. public schools officer Jeff Strenroos lied about taking a shot to the chest.
(
Patricia Nazario/KPCC
)

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Police tightlipped about Stenroos motive
Police tightlipped about Stenroos motive

Los Angeles police still aren’t saying much about last month’s shooting that involved school police officer Jeff Stenroos.

At his monthly media briefing, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck refused to confirm reports that Stenroos had accidentally shot himself.

“He did?" Beck asked with a chuckle. "I haven’t told you that.”

The eight-year school police veteran initially said someone had shot him outside El Camino Real High School in the San Fernando Valley. That prompted a massive manhunt for the shooter. The officer recanted a week later.

“He has cooperated in that he’s told us that his initial statement is not true," Beck said. "Beyond that, I’m not going to give credence to any other statements he’s made until I can corroborate them.”

The chief has said Stenroos has a bruise on his chest that’s consistent with someone who’s been shot while wearing a bullet proof vest. Beck said detectives are still looking at where, when and how the 30-year-old officer was shot. Regardless of whether an accident, Beck said one thing is for sure.

“We will seek a felony filing on Mr. Stenroos,” Beck said.

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Beck said that at a minimum, Stenroos faces charges that he filed a false police report.

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