A Lakeland police officer was arrested for falsely reporting a crime after he claimed that three juveniles threw something at his agency-issued vehicle, an unmarked Chevrolet SUV, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Timeline:
Michael Hayes, 42, a 12-year veteran of the Lakeland Police Department, told deputies that his window was shattered on Friday while driving down Yates Road. He told deputies here unknown juveniles threw an object at the vehicle.
While turning his vehicle around to try and catch up with the juveniles who took off, he said he ran over a small sign, damaging the front of his vehicle, according to PCSO.
But deputies say they later found a photo taken 24 hours before the crime was reported of Hayes’ SUV with the back window already broken.