A Florida police chief has been fired just more than a year after one of his officers accidentally shot and killed a woman during a citizens academy exercise.
Punta Gorda City Manager Howard Kunik announced Tom Lewis’ termination on the city’s website Aug. 30 after an internal investigation. It found a casual approach to citizen safety during demonstrations and a non-standardized approach that created unnecessary risk for everyone involved.
Authorities say former Officer Lee Coel mistakenly shot and killed 73-year-old Mary Knowlton during a role-playing scenario last August. Lewis, as Coel’s boss, had been charged with misdemeanor culpable negligence, but a jury acquitted him in June. Kunik says the internal investigation began immediately after the trial.
Coel has been charged with manslaughter, though no trial date has been set.
Topics Florida Law Enforcement
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