It’s no wonder that police failed to arrest the culprits in the April 11 shooting of Newcomerstown Police Officer Bryan Eubanks, despite a statewide manhunt: According to a Tuesday news release from the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office, the attack never happened.
Eubanks was alone in his cruiser when he claimed that a pair of unknown assailants accosted him, the sheriff’s office wrote. He was alone when the gun went off. Witnesses observed no other cars coming or going near Eubanks' vehicle.
The sheriff’s office now believes that Eubanks fabricated the incident after shooting himself twice in the arm.
Eubanks' report of the incident sparked a statewide "Blue Alert" warning the public of the nonexistant shooters, who were described as armed and dangerous.
The sheriff's office reported that Eubanks had been released into medical care Tuesday afternoon, but Tuscarawas County plans to pursue charges against him for making up the attack.
