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Sniper 'Witness' is Arrested for Lying
Friday, October 18, 2002
(6:46 PM ET)
By Stefany Moore
From the Washington Politics & Policy Desk

Matthew Dowdy, 37, of Falls Church, Va., was taken into custody at 4:15 p.m. Friday and charged with "making false statements to law enforcement officers in the course of a police investigation," according to Fairfax County police. If convicted, he could be sentenced to six months in jail.



Monday, after the shooting in Falls Church, Dowdy told police that he had seen a man with olive-colored skin put an AK-74 rifle to his shoulder, open fire from 30 yards away from the victim, and flee in a cream-colored van with a broken taillight.



WASHINGTON -- UPI
Police charged a Virginia man Friday for misleading investigators by telling them that he witnessed Washington area's elusive sniper kill a 47-year-old woman in a Home Depot parking lot.

The so-called "witness" claimed he saw the sniper fire a military-style weapon and provided police with a detailed description of the assailant's cream-colored van, as well as some clues about what the sniper may have looked like.

Police later said the man's account was inaccurate and urged news outlets to correct the information.

The man's description of the van had been relayed to law enforcement and news outlets across the Washington, D.C., area, and police engaged in a massive search for the vehicle. News media also disseminated the information, urging members of the public to come forward if they had spotted the van.

Police said that when this misinformation was broadcast and published, it may have kept people with real leads from coming forward.
(More: UPI.com News Source)
2002 © United Press International.

Dan