A Virginia cop in need of a new career should probably steer clear of acting given the unconvincing nature of his latest amateur effort.
The now unemployed deputy has been relieved of his duties after allegedly faking an attack that left him “unconsious” at the roadside, authorities said.
Jake Preston Dooley, 22, of Marshall was charged Saturday with falsely summoning law enforcement and obstruction of justice, according to the Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office.
The deputy had claimed that the attack happened when he pulled over to remove an object from the middle of the street while driving home after his Friday night shift.
Dooley said he heard someone shout at him as he was returning to his vehicle and was then knocked out as he turned around to see who it was, news station WTVR reported.
A passerby came across the deputy lying face down in the road about 10 minutes later and called 911, authorities said.
“Detectives thoroughly and vigorously investigated the allegation and determined the incident reported by the deputy was false,” the sheriff’s office said.
Authorities are yet to release further details on how they were able to determine that Dooley’s claims were fictitious.
Sheriff Robert P. Mosier confirmed Saturday that Dooley has been let go from the force.
“Sometimes bad things happen to good organizations,” Mosier said in a statement.
“We truly regret that this happened but find a tremendous amount of comfort in the knowledge that our community understands and supports law enforcement in Fauquier County.”
Dooley was released on a $10,000 unsecured bond. He will be taken to a regional facility for a mental health evaluation, according to the sheriff’s office.