EIZER times
$1.00/ ISSUE
Volume 42 • No. 30
MAY 14, 2021
INTERNAL
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Former city manager Chris Eppley shown at a Keizer City Council budget committee meeting in 2016.
FILE PHOTO, Keizertimes
EPPLEY GUNSHOT FALLOUT
SUBSCRIBER ADDRESS :
Asked about accountability, City
offi cials opt to muddy the waters
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
After an internal investigation
regarding the form city manager fi r-
ing a gun in his offi ce was released
to the public, Keizertimes submitted
a list of questions to city offi cials
and Mayor Cathy Clark hoping to fi ll
in gaps in the fi nal report and what
steps the city would be taking in the
aftermath of the incident.
We are presenting our questions
alongside the city offi cials’ responses
(with one editor’s clarifi cation) in
their entirety.
Keizertimes: Will there be any
consequences for current Keizer
employees who knew Mr. Eppley had
violated city policy well before the
March 4 incident?
City’s response: The City
of Keizer does not comment on
employee personnel matters except
as required by law.
KT: Why was there a 13-day delay
between the incident and contacting
the Oregon State Police to request an
investigation?
CR: Consistent with the fi ndings
in the Oregon State Police report
there did not appear to have been a
crime committed that would require
immediate police attention.
KT: The Oregon State Police
appear only to have investigated
whether Mr. Eppley had been
“reckless” in his discharge of a
weapon in his offi ce.
ORS 166.370, possession of fi re-
arm or dangerous weapon in public
building or court facility, states any
person who intentionally possesses
a loaded or unloaded fi rearm or any
other instrument used as a danger-
ous weapon, while in or on a public
building, shall upon conviction be
guilty of a Class C felony. The mere
act of taking a fi rearm into his offi ce
appears to violate Oregon law.
Why is this not addressed in
the internal investigation report or
elsewhere?
See MUDDY, page 10