Police chief placed on leave after lying about accidentally shooting his friend

Several investigations have been opened into the incident.

A policeman and his badge. (aijohn784/iStock)

The police chief in Portland, Oregon has been placed on leave after he inadvertently shot a friend and failed to cover it up.

Mayor Charlie Hales announced on Tuesday that he had placed Chief Larry O’Dea on administrative leave while the shooting incident is investigated.

“We need our police bureau operating at its best, and our officers can’t do that when there’s turmoil and confusion surrounding their leader,” Hales said in a statement.

The Harney County Sheriff’s office revealed on Monday that Chief O’Dea lied to deputies when they responded to his 911 call during an off-duty hunting trip on April 21. The office said that the police chief had a negligent discharge from his .22-caliber rifle, shooting his close friend in the back who was airlifted to the nearest hospital.

O’Dea, 53, is a three-decade veteran who was sworn in as Portland's police chief last month, told deputies that his wounded friend accidentally shot himself.

Sheriff Dave Ward said that his department would not aid any the police chief in any sort of cover-up.

“If he called the mayor and said he had shot his friend, he should have called me as well. I was irritated about that,” Ward told The Oregonian. “He should have picked up the phone and called our office and said this is what happened.”

Ward added that Chief O’Dea never identified himself as a police officer, and that the victim made it very clear that he didn’t shoot himself, “The victim knew who shot him.”

Several investigations have been opened into the incident by the Oregon State Police, Oregon Department of Justice, Portland Police Bureau Professional Standards, and Portland Independent Police Review.