PORTLAND, Ore., Oct. 17 (UPI) -- A police officer in Portland, Ore., was fired after he mistakenly loaded a beanbag shotgun with lethal rounds, critically injuring a man, officials say.
Dane Reister faces criminal charges and had been on administrative leave since the 2011 shooting, The Oregonian reported Thursday. The injured man, William Kyle Monroe, was awarded $2.3 million in a federal lawsuit against the city.
"The events of June 30th devastated the lives of those involved, but we hope that this action will bring some sense of closure." Police Chief Mike Reese said Wednesday in a statement disclosing Reister's termination.
Reister has pleaded not guilty to third- and fourth-degree assault charges, as well as a negligent wounding charge.
The newspaper said Reister admitted in court filings to misloading his shotgun after grabbing lethal rounds from a bag that contained both lethal and beanbag rounds.
The officer encountered Monroe at a city park after counselors at a children's camp reported they thought Monroe had a pocketknife in his sleeve.
The federal lawsuit said Reister commanded Monroe, who had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder to stop, empty his pockets and get on his knees. Monroe became "highly agitated," the officer said, and returned to his vehicle to get his beanbag gun, loading the weapon with the wrong shells.
Reister fired when Monroe began to flee, the lawsuit said.
