Officer convicted of stealing liquor

<p>A former Massachusetts police officer accused of making false reports about a shootout and a bomb threat was found dead in his home Thursday.&nbsp;</p><p>It started when a bomb threat was called into Millis High School the morning of Sept. 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;Later that day, 24-year-old officer Bryan Johnson reported a suspect had fired into his car, which he later crashed while pursuing the shooter. The shootout report led to a manhunt by SWAT and state police.</p><p>But Johnson was later accused of reporting the fake bomb threat to a local high school, shooting into his own police cruiser and then crashing it into a tree, causing it to burst into flames. (Video via&nbsp;<a href="http://www.myfoxboston.com/story/30560391/millis-officer-indicted-for-false-bomb-threat-alleged-fake-shootout" target="_blank">WFXT</a>)</p><p>Johnson was fired and on&nbsp;<a href="http://www.necn.com/news/new-england/Ex-Mass-Police-Officer-Indicted-for-Hoax-Shooting-Bomb-Threat-Found-Dead-at-His-Home-354884441.html" target="_blank">Nov. 19</a>&nbsp;was indicted on charges including willful communication of a bomb threat to a school and falsifying a police report, to which he pleaded not guilty.&nbsp;</p><p>If convicted, Johnson faced over&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bostonherald.com/news/local_coverage/2015/11/da_ex_millis_cop_accused_of_faking_shootout_found_dead_in_home" target="_blank">40 years</a>&nbsp;in prison. Police say they are not investigating his death as a homicide, but an autopsy is still upcoming.&nbsp;</p>