PUNTA GORDA , Fla. --- The police officer who shot and killed a woman in a Citizen's Academy in August has been fired from the Punta Gorda Police Department.
The City of Punta Gorda released a letter to Lee Coel and his attorney Jerry Berry on Thursday, stating he has been fired for failing to take appropriate and reasonable steps to ensure safety of Mary Knowlton, a retired librarian who was shot and killed during the Citizen's Academy, and failing to ensure that no live ammunition was used during the exercise.
Lee Coel had been on administrative leave since the incident, and has since been charged with first-degree manslaughter.
Coel has 10 days to file an appeal.
