Maybe LE purposely disclosed the 'upper torso wound' when that wasn't true? Is it normal for LE to announce false info in order to confuse or trick the suspect? I don't know.
To answer your question, yes it is. I see it all the time on Forensic Files. There is much on this available for research as far as ruses, etc.
An example:
"In reality, the FBI agents consulted with the Seattle Times and did not exactly replicate their website, but wanted to lure their suspect into believing it was a real news story. The furor over the FBI’s actions raise two big questions: can the FBI or any other law enforcement agency (or private investigators) engage in pretexts during the course of an investigation And, what means do investigators have in the digital era to identify or trick potential suspects or targets?
Pretexts, especially in undercover operations and certain law enforcement and private investigations, are a recognized and needed law enforcement tool that has been sanctioned by courts throughout the United States, although with some caveats. Many investigations, by necessity, involve the use of deception in order to identify and catch suspects. They can result in producing incriminating evidence and inculpatory statements by criminals that can later provide the critical proof required for conviction."
Snip
"In my career I have developed and executed many of them, especially in murder cases where the only way to solve the crime was to elicit incriminating statements from perpetrators. In such cases, very carefully structured and often complex scenarios are fabricated to fool the target."
Yes, Associated Press, Cops Can Lie To Catch Bad Guys
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To Ruse Or Not To Ruse » CriminalJusticeDegree.com
"In my police career, I have claimed to have evidence which did not exist and used many other ruses in order to extract information. Whether it is lying to a suspect, using a scheme, or introducing a staged event, the public still criticizes the legitimacy of police craftiness."
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Police use 'fake news' in gang ruse; media criticize tactics as dishonest
""It was a moral and ethical decision, and I stand by it," Martin said Friday. "I am keenly aware and sensitive to the community and the media. I also had 21 bodies lying in the city in the last 15 months."
The phony announcement issued in February was discovered in court documents and reported only this week by the Santa Maria Sun, a weekly newspaper in the city 140 miles northwest of Los Angeles."
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I can site some WS examples as well, one of my favorites was when the police had the husband, who they already kneew was the killer at the time, purposely go on TV at a PC and make him plead for his wife's safe return...it'll take me a MI ute to remember her name...J....? I don't want to get too o/t, but yes, yes, LE can cerrrrtainly say whatever they want even if its false to make sure they have they catch right guy. Jmo.
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https://harvardlawreview.org/2015/04/bait-mask-and-ruse/
"Deception and enticement have long been tools of the police, but new technologies have enabled investigative deceit to become more powerful and pervasive."
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"The criminals have no idea that they are being deceived by the police, but courts have held that this is not a
violation of their constitutional rights.12 In fact, such deceptive actions are
a necessary and effective method for fighting crime. Without such latitude,
citizens could be subjected to all the various ills that crime produces.13 As
such, all law-abiding citizens count on the government to provide some
measure of protection against crime. In turn, these citizens place a great
deal of trust in their law enforcement officers."
Link
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The Lawful Use of Deception
"As the U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly acknowledged, "Criminal activity is such that stealth and strategy are necessary weapons in the arsenal of the police officer." (Sorrells v. U.S.) "Nor will the mere fact of deceit defeat a prosecution, for there are circumstances when the use of deceit is the only practicable law enforcement technique available." (U.S. v. Russell)
What kinds of stratagems, ruses, trickery, and subterfuge might you use to develop admissible evidence of a suspect's guilt? The general rule is that deception can be used as long as it is not likely to induce an innocent person to commit a crime or to confess to a crime that he or she did not commit. Many familiar examples have been reviewed in decisions of the Supreme Court."
