Back in February, a bus driver for the Dayton, Ohio transit system revealed a shocking story, claiming he survived a shooting because a pocket-sized religious book stopped two bullets. Well, now police have learned the entire thing was made up by the driver, identified as 49-year-old Rickey Wagoner.

Back in February, a bus driver for the Dayton, Ohio transit system revealed a shocking story, claiming he survived a shooting because a pocket-sized religious book stopped two bullets.

Well, now police have learned the entire thing was made up by the driver, identified as 49-year-old Rickey Wagoner. Originally Wagoner said his trolley bus broke down on February 24th when he was approached by three black males wearing hoodies.

He claimed the assailants used the term ‘polar bear’ believing it to be slang among gang members refering to a white person. The implication was that the occurrence was a hate crime.

Wagoner said the small book stopped bullets from entering his body while he was able to disarm the attackers and stab one of them with a pen knife, successfully making them flee. Video and audio recordings of the incident, however, show Wagoner had just over 20 seconds to fight off three assailants single-handedly and there was also an inconsistency in the number of gunshots fired.

The only blood and DNA evidence recovered from the scene came from the thought-to-be victim. Investigators deemed the injuries sustained were self-inflicted.

Wagoner has not yet been charged with a crime. Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority’s Executive Director commented “The police department has concluded Mr. Wagoner fabricated his statements. All of us at RTA are angry at the thought that an employee would allegedly mislead the police, the public and us and use ugly racial stereotypes in doing so.”