Schools Closed Amid Manhunt for Gunman Who Opened Fire on Police Cruiser, Causing It to Hit a Tree and Burst Into Flames

UPDATE 4:15 p.m. ET: Police say the officer who claimed his patrol vehicle crashed into a tree and burst into flames after coming under gunfire fabricated his account of what happened. The Boston Globe reported that the officer fabricated the account, which triggered a massive manhunt on Wednesday and closed down schools on Thursday.

Read the full story by TheBlaze here.

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MILLIS, Mass. (TheBlaze/AP) -- Police are still looking for a gunman who fired at a police cruiser in a town southwest of Boston, and schools are being closed as a precaution.

The police car crashed and caught fire Wednesday in Millis. The incident occurred just hours after two threatening phone calls were made to a middle school, on the first day of classes. The officer in the police cruiser was not seriously hurt.

Image source: WCVB-TV

"This is strictly to make sure that our schools are safe," chief Richard Barrett told WCVB-TV. "For a small community to have these incidents happen on the same day, even though we believe they're not connected, we want to take all the precautions."

Police Sgt. William Dwyer said a white man 25 to 40 years old fired at the officer from a maroon pickup truck driving in the opposite direction. He said the officer crashed when he spun around to try to follow the truck.

Police had asked people to remain inside while a SWAT team, K-9 officers and a Massachusetts State Police helicopter searched the wooded neighborhood. They said they believe the man has left the area.

"I am telling you, they had guys holding rifles and talking on their walkie-talkies. It was like, 'Oh my god. I feel like I'm being attacked,'" resident Donna Ashford said.

"It was scary," Nancy Haney told WCVB-TV. "I didn't like it. You know, I was unnerved by it."

It wasn't immediately clear whether school would resume classes would Friday.