NEWCOMERSTOWN, Ohio -- Tuscarawas County authorities say a number of inconsistencies began to surface in the hours after a Newcomerstown police officer claimed that he was shot by a pair of suspects.

In a press conference held Tuesday afternoon, Tuscarawas County Sheriff Orvis Campbell told media outlets that aspects of Officer Bryan J. Eubanks' story raised suspicions almost immediately after the alleged incident reported last Tuesday. Campbell said that as the investigation progressed, even more inconsistencies began to mount:

The 37-year-old Eubanks reported on April 11 that he pulled over a black Geo Tracker on South River Street after observing that the vehicle had no visible license plates. Eubanks claimed that a male passenger reportedly opened fire, hitting the officer in the chest and the arm, before fleeing the scene.

Sheriff Campbell and Newcomerstown Police Chief Gary Holland on Tuesday revealed that Eubanks had fabricated the story to cover up the fact that he intentionally shot himself.

Because the camera in Eubanks’ police cruiser was non-operational at the time of the alleged incident, and because Newcomerstown officers do not wear body cameras, Campbell said it was difficult to immediately confirm or deny the officer’s report.

Eubanks reportedly told investigators that the stress of a recent murder investigation caused him to want to inflict harm on himself, leading to last Tuesday’s incident:

Sheriff Campbell confirmed that Eubanks was one of the first officers on the scene after 30-year-old Charles Plants of Newcomerstown allegedly murdered his mother and brutally beat his sister with a hammer last July.

Eubanks tendered his resignation on Tuesday and was released on his own recognizance. He was a 14-year member of the Newcomerstown Police Department and also served the Cambridge Police Auxiliary.

The case has been turned over to the Tuscarawas County Prosecutor's Office for consideration of charges, which could include inducing panic or theft.

A number of local, state and federal agencies were involved in the statewide manhunt spurred by Eubanks' story. The Ohio State Highway Patrol; the Guernsey, Tuscarawas and Coshocton County sheriff’s offices; the Newcomerstown and Cambridge police departments; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the U.S. Marshals Service were a ll involved in the search last Tuesday.