Mills pleads no contest, fined $100 for shoving sgt. with sign

(Update: Adding DA Hummel’s statement)

Former Sunriver police chief Marc Mills on Thursday entered a no-contest plea to a misdemeanor harassment charge and a judge fined him $100 for shoving a sergeant with a metal sign during a dispute, prompting an internal investigation that led to his resignation.

Because it was a misdemeanor charge, Mills was not required to be in court for the negotiated plea and sentencing before Deschutes County Circuit Judge Randy Miller.

Mills resigned from the police department in early February, two months after the incident, as the Sunriver Service District confirmed they had been told during its investigation of “other outbursts of temper, fears of retaliation and inappropriate behavior.”

Deputy District Attorney Van McIver told the judge that the victim, Sgt. Joe Patnode, had been notified of the resolution of the case and was in agreement with the outcome. The fine already has been paid.

Mills’ attorney, Erick Ward, said his client believes the no contest plea and fine are the best outcome of the matter, both for his family and the community. In a no contest plea, a defendant does not admit to nor dispute that a crime occurred.

McIver revealed new details of the dispute that led to the charge, saying Mills was upset that a metal sign for the Citizens Patrol force in the resort community had gone missing, but eventually was found, rusty and shot with bullet holes.

During a dispute witnessed by others, McIver said Mills abruptly pushed Patnode in the chest with the back of the sign, pushing him backwards and causing the back of Patnode’s head to hit a wall.

The prosecutor characterized the action not as aggressive but as demeaning to the sergeant, noting that Patnode did not sustain any injuries as a result.

Attorneys for both sides also noted that Mills had no record of disciplinary action during his tenure in law enforcement.

McIver said after the hearing that Patnode was satisfied with the results of the court case but also wished that the incident had not resulted in Mills’ departure.

Mills, 62, was placed on paid leave after the incident He became Sunriver police chief in 2012 after more than 38 years with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.

After the sentencing, District Attorney John Hummel issued the following statement:

“Marc Mills has over 40 years of law enforcement service in Central Oregon, which includes numerous significant accomplishments and thousands of lives impacted in a positive way, and for this he should be commended. At the same time, this conviction serves as a reminder that in Deschutes County no one is above the law.”

Hummel also thanked law enforcement for their role in the case:

“Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum and her team at the Department of Justice conducted a top-notch investigation that revealed the facts as they were and enabled me and my team to bring a successful prosecution,” he wrote. “And the officers and administrative staff at the Sunriver Police Department, who courageously spoke truth to power by honestly recounting what their chief did, gives me confidence that the residents and visitors of Sunriver are in good hands moving forward.”