PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Terry Kruger was removed from his position as chief of the West Linn Police Department on Friday.
Kruger joined the police department in June of 2018. He will be offered three months of severance pay, according to the city.
“I believe that new leadership within the West Linn Police Department will help the community move forward,” said City Manager Jerry Gabrielatos. “This is a step toward restoring confidence in the West Linn Police Department.”
Acting Chief Peter Mahuna will continue his interim role during the search for a permanent chief.
No further details are available at this time.
Kruger was put on paid leave in April during an investigation into the city’s handling of the Michael Fesser case.
A lawsuit originally filed in 2017 accused former West Linn Police Chief Terry Timeus of ordering two sergeants to investigate and build a case against 48-year-old Michael Fesser. The lawsuit claimed Timeus was acting on behalf of a personal friend who owned a Portland towing company where Fesser was employed. That business owner allegedly told Timeus he was worried Fesser might sue him for racial discrimination so Timeus was having his officers build a case that Fesser was stealing from the company. The involved officers eventually arrested Fesser and detained him without probable cause, the lawsuit alleged.
The City of West Linn awarded Fesser $600,000 earlier this year.