Probe Into Police Chief Shooting His Friend Snares Other Top Cops

The city probe into Portland Police Chief Larry O'Dea shooting his friend while on a hunting trip has now ensnared O'Dea's four assistant chiefs.

The four — Mike Crebs, Bob Day, Donna Henderson and Kevin Modica — have been notified by the Independent Police Review division of the city auditor's office that they are suspected of having violated bureau policies.

Henderson is currently interim chief of the bureau, having been appointed by Mayor Charlie Hales when O'Dea went on leave because of the pending investigation.

The Oregonian was the first to report that city investigators want to know what the chiefs knew and when they knew it. The Portland Tribune was the first to report investigators believe the chiefs might have violated city rules.

The city probe is one of three stemming from the incident in which O'Dea shot his friend while they were on a hunting trip in Harney County.

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Oregon State Police and the Oregon Department of Justice are also investigating.

When a sheriff's deputy responded to the scene, O'Dea said his friend had shot himself. It was only weeks later that O'Dea admitted to investigators what he had done. While O'Dea was slow to be honest with investigators, he has said he told Hales the next day, a statement backed up by Hales. He also informed his four top chiefs and the captain who oversees internal affairs.

However, O'Dea did not notify Independent Police Review, which conducts internal probes of high-ranking officers. Neither Hales, O'Dea nor any police official made that notification — which city code requires. In fact, IPR learned of the shooting from media reports.

The director of the police review division told The Oregonian in May that the lack of notification was "a systematic failure."

City investigators have spoken with several police officials about conversations they may have had with O'Dea and with others about O'Dea.

The four chiefs face possible discipline for not having notified IPR. O'Dea not only faces the possibility of discipline for violating bureau procedures, but he also still faces the possibility of criminal charges.

Officials say that negligently wounding someone is a crime, as is interfering with an investigation, which is how lying to a deputy about what happened could be interpreted.