Pa. officer accused of staging a shooting posts bail

DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (AP) — The suburban Philadelphia police officer accused of staging his own shooting during a traffic stop has been released on the condition he report to a mental health clinic.

Chalfont police Officer Jon Cousin posted bail Thursday afternoon after agreeing to check in to an inpatient mental health program.

Authorities say Cousin contacted Bucks County dispatchers early Monday and reported he’d been shot while checking on a suspicious vehicle. But prosecutors say investigators determined Cousin was lying after he didn’t have the injuries expected of person shot while wearing a bulletproof vest.

Cousin is charged with making false reports to police and related charges.

Defense attorney Michael Applebaum tells The Doylestown Intelligencer his chief concern is Cousin’s mental health. Applebaum says he believes “there’s a logical explanation for what happened.”