Man to change plea in 2011 killing of Rainier police chief

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Eight years after he was accused of gunning down the police chief of Rainier during a scuffle at a car stereo store, Daniel Butts is scheduled to change his plea and be sentenced.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Butts is scheduled to appear in Columbia County Circuit Court in the death of Rainier Police Chief Ralph Painter on Tuesday.

Butts, of Kalama, Washington, was arrested on Jan. 5, 2011, after police say he wrested Painter’s gun away and shot him in the head.

Now 29, Butts is expected to plead guilty to a murder charge and guilty except for insanity to other charges in exchange for a sentence of at least 41 years before he can be eligible for parole.

He’s being held at the Oregon State Hospital in Salem.