The chief of the Punta Gorda Police Department has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal affairs investigation. That action was taken Thursday, one day after Chief Tom Lewis was charged with one count of culpable negligence in connection with the fatal shooting of a woman during a community police academy last August. The charge is a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail. Lee Coel, the officer who reportedly fired the gun that killed 73-year-old Mary Knowlton, is charged with manslaughter, a first degree felony. Coel faces a possible sentence of 30 years in prison and a 10-thousand dollar fine.
