BEND, OR -- Sunriver’s former police chief was convicted of Harassment Thursday. According to the Deschutes County District Attorney, Marc Mills will serve no jail time and must pay a $100 fine, based on a plea deal.
Mills was put on administrative leave in December, following a physical altercation with another officer. After the Sunriver Service District conducted an investigation into Mills, he was forced to resign, last month.
D.A. John Hummel commended Mills for his 40-years of law enforcement service in Central Oregon, but says the Misdemeanor conviction serves as a reminder that "no one is above the law." He tells KBND News the punishment fits the crime. Hummel believes law enforcement officials should be held to a higher standard, "He's a convicted criminal. He's no longer police chief. I can't imagine there's any city or county in this state, or elsewhere, that would hire anybody who was convicted of the acts he was convicted of." Hummel adds that a state board will determine whether Mills retains his certification as a law enforcement officer.
The conviction stems from an incident when, while on duty, Mills shoved a fellow officer against the wall at the police station, causing him to hit his head.
