LYFORD POLICE CHIEF SENTENCED FOR LYING

RAYMONDVILLE, Texas (AP) - A former South Texas police chief was sentenced
to eight years' probation after admitting he lied to lawmen about being
fired on by drug dealers on a country road.

Former Lyford Chief Joseph Rene Leal actually shot himself in the knee.

Leal was charged with giving a false statement to police and concealing a
weapon after admitting in September that he lied about an April 2 shooting,
in which he initially told police he was attacked by drug dealers on a
deserted road.

Texas Rangers and Willacy County Sheriff's Department deputies later traced
the slug to the police chief's own 9mm Ruger handgun.

Leal later admitted he picked up his wife's van, which was parked outside
the Lyford police station, and tried to hurt himself by shooting his gun,
the Valley Morning Star reported.

The former lawman said he was under pressure in the weeks leading up the
shooting, and had been taking medication and lost visitation rights with
his children.

He resigned in August after being suspended May 27, when he was indicted
for tampering with evidence.

Leal made no statement when he was sentenced last week. However, Cameron
County state District Judge Roy Valdez admonished Leal for lying about the
shooting.

"I don't know what your ulterior motive for this act was, but maybe you
wanted to sue the city of Lyford," the judge said.

Part of Leal's punishment includes permanent suspension of his law
enforcement license and attending two years of psychological counseling.

Willacy County District Attorney Juan Guerra said he thinks the lengthy
probationary sentence was warranted. "After what he dragged us through to
get to the truth, I think what the judge did was fine," Guerra said.

The investigation left residents of the town of 2,000 about 50 miles
northwest of Brownsville without a police force.

Two officers quit, saying they feared the chief would punish them for
helping with the investigation. The other two said they had better offers,
and also quit.