A Virginia man is charged with filing a false police report after authorities alleged that he accidentally shot himself in the leg and blamed it on two imaginary black men.
Eric Hunter Jones, 23, is also charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, felony receiving stolen property and reckless handling of a firearm, according to Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office officials.
Sheriff’s deputies were called around 11:40 p.m. Saturday to an Econo Lodge, where they found Jones suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg. He told the deputies that two unknown black men approached him and shot him.
While Jones was taken to a hospital, detectives went to the motel and started interviewing potential witnesses in the hopes of locating the assailants. Sheriff’s Office officials said that their investigation led them to the conclusion that Jones shot himself.
Armed with a search warrant, the detectives found a gun in Jones' room that they believe he injured himself with, according to a news release. A check of the weapon's serial number indicated that it had previously been reported stolen by its owner.
After receiving treatment at the hospital, Jones was released into police custody and charged in the shooting.
He remained in the Rappahannock Regional Jail Tuesday morning, jail records showed. His bond had not been set at that time.
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