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 Tommy Hartfield |
Tommy Lynn Hartfield, 38, was arrested on Oct. 31, after an investigation by deputies of the Clay County Sheriff's Office revealed discrepancies in Hartfield's claim.
"The Clay County Sheriff's Office will not take incidents such as this lightly. The public has been subjected to the thought of an armed robber being in Clay County, which certainly isn't comforting. My office will seek to file charges against anyone making false claims to us. We have invested in excess of 40 man hours on this investigation and it is our intention to seek restitution from the court against Mr. Hartfield," said Clay County Sheriff, Randy Krukow.
Hartfield came to the Clay County Sheriff's Office to review his robbery case on Oct. 31. Assisted by Crime Scene and Statement Analysis, Inc., of South Sioux City, Neb., the Clay County Sheriff's Office secured a confession from Hartfield stating he fabricated all aspects of the robbery events, falsifying the report for personal reasons.
Following the interview, Hartfield was taken into custody and placed in the Clay County jail, charged with filing a false police report, a serious misdemeanor.
On Sept. 17, at approximately 6:10 a.m., Hartfield, of 105 Pine Street, Peterson, called 911 and reported he was robbed at gunpoint at 470th Street and 130th Avenue -- County Road M27 -- approximately four miles north of Peterson. Hartfield reportedly stopped to assist a female standing beside a vehicle on 470th Street. Hartfield said while talking to the female, a male passenger exited her vehicle, got behind Hartfield, said he had a gun and placed it in Hartfield's back. Hartfield said he was robbed of more than $280 in cash. Hartfield stated the male and female fled the area.
After discovering discrepancies in the story, deputes made the decision to conduct parallel investigations, one based on Hartfield's claims as fact and a second one based on the possibility Hartfield's claims were fabricated. As the investigations continued, it became apparent Hartfield's claims were false.
The Clay County Sheriff's Office was assisted by the O'Brien County Sheriff's Office and the Clay County Attorney's Office.
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I think this represents good police work. There must be numerous occasions in the past when reports of this sort, for assorted reasons, went right through and were assumed factual.
Scaring the public, spending tax dollars unnecessarily, suspecting and arresting innocent persons. What a potential catastrophe, should the falsehood go undetected.
I hear of this sort of false reporting more and more frequently these days and I say, bravo! The idea of pulling a fast one on the rest of us is getting harder, and those with this kind of motivation must be thinking twice about getting away with this kind of activity.
I hear this guy filed the report because he was late for work & did not want to lose his job.
It goes to show just how dumb people can be.