The officer, Keith Buchanan, who graduated from the police academy in 2012, was relieved of all duties and is likely to face charges of criminal mischief, false reporting and discharging a firearm within the city limits, Chief Patrick Smith said at a news conference.
Citing other officers for their legitimate heroism, Smith said Buchanan's alleged action "is a slap in the face to them and the efforts that they have put out."
Buchanan was patrolling near railroad tracks along the Birmingham-Tarrant border early on July 21 when he radioed a call for help, with gunshots audible in the background.
Fellow officers searched for Buchanan for more than half an hour before Tarrant officers found him on the ground beside the tracks, "appearing to be unconscious and holding his gun," Smith said. Buchanan's police car was found nearby with a bullet hole through the front window, he said.
"I'm here to talk about stolen valor, stolen honor and an attempt to stage a shooting that has left this department polarized and hanging its head low in disbelief," Smith.
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