Santa Clara County Deputy Sukhdeep Singh Gill, 27, was arrested on Friday
He has been charged with felony vandalism and falsely reporting a crime
Gill claimed he was ambushed in a drive-by shooting while out on patrol
The shooting led to a huge multi-agency manhunt for the suspects
However sheriff s office officials now say the incident was fabricated by Gill
The deputy will be able to enter a plea when he is arraigned next month
His police vehicle had also been shot by three bullets.
The Los Angeles Times reports that Gill told authorities at the time that he had fired back at the car as it sped away.
He was on a routine patrol along a rural mountain road in the foothills of unincorporated Morgan Hill, California, at the time.
Gill was placed on leave following the incident.
Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen did not specify what parts of Gill’s story were fake but said ballistics and other evidence revealed inconsistencies.
Gill was not wounded in the shooting while the single bullet pierced his body camera.