A Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy concocted a story Wednesday that a sniper shot him in the shoulder, and that he was saved by a ballistic vest he was wearing.

Droves of law enforcement personnel searched for the alleged shooter, who deputy Angel Reinosa, 21, said shot at him from a four-story apartment building adjacent to the sheriff’s station in Lancaster.

Later, Reinosa told investigators that he had not been shot as he walked to his car on Wednesday afternoon. He admitted that he used a knife to cut a hole in his uniform, officials said.

“There was no sniper, no shots fired and no gunshot injury sustained,” Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Captain Kent Wegener told reporters at a news conference on Saturday. “Completely fabricated.”

The investigation is ongoing, and could result in charges against Reinosa.