NEWVILLE, Pa. — A Cumberland County Fire Police officer is facing a misdemeanor charge after falsely claiming to police that he had been struck by a vehicle while on duty last month, Newville Police said Monday.
Morris Metzger, 66, is charged with one count of making a false statement to law enforcement in connection to the alleged incident, which occurred on June 20, according to police.
Metzger was allegedly directing traffic at the scene of a traffic accident on the 100 block of South High Street at 5:05 p.m., police said.
While working at the intersection of South High and Vine Streets, Metzger claimed that a vehicle failed to stop for him and drove around the traffic cones he had set up, making a right turn onto South High Street, police said.
Metzger allegedly told police he yelled at the vehicle and waved his arms in an attempt to stop it. According to his account, the vehicle then turned around at Graham Medical Center and came back toward him before stopping beside him.
At that point, Metzger claimed, the woman driving the vehicle ran over his left foot as it left the scene, continuing north on High Street.
Metzger was evaluated by EMS and transported to UPMC Carlisle for treatment, police said.
Police were able to obtain surveillance video from the scene in an attempt to identify the vehicle that Metzger claimed hit him. Investigators were able to find the vehicle in the video, but the footage revealed that it never struck Metzger at all, according to police.
On June 22, Metzger provided his account of the incident in a written statement to Newville Police. At that point, police said, he was advised of the consequences of providing a false statement to law enforcement, but Metzger allegedly chose to stick with his version of what allegedly transpired.
Police said they then confronted Metzger with the facts from the video and filed a misdemeanor charge against him.
