Mercury News: Former Santa Clara County deputy pleads in fake cop shooting

SAN JOSE — A disgraced former Santa Clara County sheriff’s deputy has been convicted in a bizarre case in which authorities say he inexplicably staged a fake on-duty shooting of himself on a remote road near the Uvas Reservoir four years ago.

Sukhdeep Gill, 30, pleaded no contest Tuesday — the day his preliminary examination was scheduled to start — after agreeing to a court offer to reduce his felony vandalism charge to a misdemeanor, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, which objected to the leniency.

As part of the court agreement, Gill will have to perform 150 hours of community service, pay unspecified restitution and surrender his policing license to the state Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. The latter requirement means he will be barred from serving as a police officer again in California.

Gill’s listed attorney did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the plea, for which Gill was not required to be present in court.