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A Georgia police officer Sherry Hall called over her patrol car radio that she’d been shot by a Black man in Sept. of 2016. This false report sparked an intense search in Jackson, Ga., about 50 miles southwest of Atlanta. Hall said that a Black man, 6 ft, 250 pounds, wearing a green shirt and Black jogging pants alleging opening fire on the officer. A bullet was recovered from Hall’s vest, and a shell casing was found in the nearby woods in addition to two casings found near Hall’s police cruiser The Washington Post reports.

Hall’s report was a complete falsification of the truth the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. After hearing evidence, including Hall’s own testimony, a jury recently convicted the former cop of 11 criminal charges, including making false statements, violating her oath and tampering with evidence according to the Atlanta newspaper.

Superior Court Judge Thomas Wilson has sentenced Hall now 43, to 15 years in prison followed by another 23 years on probation.

Jackson Police Chief James Morgan told the AJC, he doesn’t know why Hall lied about the incident.

“She did a great job for us, up until that night,” Morgan said. “So we didn’t see this coming. But this was not a mistake. It was a conscious decision and a choreographed act.”

After Hall’s false report a manhunt ensued, one man who fit Hall’s description of the shooter was taken in for questioning but he was released.

“We didn’t need an uprising,” Morgan said. “We didn’t want any racial tensions. This put a dim view on our department. But we rebounded. It defused pretty quickly.”

Hall only worked three months for the Jackson Police Department and now she is serving her time at Arrendale State Prison in Alto.

Sherry Hall could have a taken lea deal of five years in prison followed by five years on probation but she decided to turn the deal down.

Hall’s brother Steve Weaver told AJC, “She wanted to take a plea, but not one that included prison time. She thought spending 90 days in jail before posting bond was enough.”

“She definitely didn’t get treated fairly,” Weaver said. “As her brother, obviously it’s hard for me to admit she’s guilty. But if she is guilty, the sentence she received was especially harsh. We hope to seek a sentence reduction in the near future. I mean, this was a nonviolent crime.”

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