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Good Samaritan lied about being shot in Garfield County, investigators said

Posted at 1:09 PM, Jul 29, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-29 15:09:15-04

GARFIELD COUNTY, Colo. -- The man who said he was shot after stopping to help a stranded driver lied, the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office said.

The man called deputies and said he was shot on Highway 13, near Rifle, around 12:30 a.m. on July 16.

The man said he managed to drive four miles south to Rifle Fireside Bowling Alley, where he called for help, officials said.

The man was taken by ambulance to to a nearby medical center, then airlifted to St Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction.

"Investigators later determined the gunshot wound was self inflicted," the Garfield County Sheriff's Office said in a statement sent to Denver7.

Deputies said they don't know why the man shot himself or the reason for the false report.

The Sheriff’s Office said it issued the interim results of the investigation "in order to provide the general populace a level of comfort and security in Garfield County and across the state."

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