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Thread: Daniel Armaugh Butts Sentenced to Life with Chance of Parole in 2011 OR Slaying of Police Chief Ralph Painter

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    Daniel Armaugh Butts Sentenced to Life with Chance of Parole in 2011 OR Slaying of Police Chief Ralph Painter




    Butts charged with aggravated murder

    Daniel Armaugh Butts, 21, of Kalama has been formally charged with aggravated murder in the Wednesday shooting death of Rainier Police Chief Ralph Painter. The charge means he could face the death penalty.

    The charge was filed by Columbia County District Attorney Steve Atchison Friday morning. Butts will have an initial court appearance Friday afternoon in Columbia County District Court. He is scheduled to appear via video conference and will not in the courtroom.

    Prosecutors allege Butts fatally shot Painter after a scuffle when Painter was called to a car stereo store in West Rainier about a disturbance and possible car theft.

    Painter, 55, was shot once in the head. Butts was taken into custody after a standoff with officers from the Clatskanie and Longview police departments. Butts was shot during the arrest and was released from a Portland hospital Thursday afternoon.

    All three officers have been placed on administrative leave, as is customary in any police shooting. The Longview officer involved in the shooting was Doug Kazensky, a 13-year veteran of the agency.

    http://tdn.com/news/local/article_55...cc4c03286.html

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    Man accused of shooting police chief held without bail; more details emerge

    ST. HELENS (AP) — The man accused of killing the police chief of Rainier is being held without bail after his arraignment Friday on an aggravated murder charge.

    Judge Ted Grove ordered Daniel Butts, 21, to remain in the Columbia County Jail.

    Butts appeared in court by a video feed. His attorney, John Patrick Sweeney, did not return a call from the Associated Press seeking comment.

    Grove said the case will go to a grand jury, and Butts could then be arraigned again.

    Butts is accused of fatally shooting Rainier police Chief Ralph Painter Wednesday. Painter had gone to a car stereo shop to investigate a report of an attempted car theft.

    Columbia County District Attorney Steve Atchison said he has not yet decided whether to seek the death penalty.

    Also Friday, officials released the names of the two Clatskanie officers and one Longview, Wash., officer who fired their weapons Wednesday at Butts, who was struck by one bullet in the back. That round remains in his body, and he continues to be treated for the wound at the jail.

    Columbia County Sheriff Jeff Dickerson said the Clatskanie officers were Police Chief Marvin Hoover and Sgt. Shaun McQuiddy. The Longview officer was Doug Kazensky, said police Capt. Robert Huhta.

    The Oregonian reported that all three fired their weapons in the exchange of gunfire that came minutes after Painter was killed. They were all placed on administrative leave, standard procedure in shootings involving officers.

    http://www.dailyastorian.com/news/lo...cc4c002e0.html

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    Man indicted in Rainier OR police chief slaying

    A grand jury in northwest Oregon accused a 21-year-old man Friday of taking a firearm from Rainier Police Chief Ralph Painter and shooting him to death.

    The indictment accused Daniel Butts of aggravated murder, which could carry the death penalty, as well as other charges, including theft of the pistol from Painter.

    Butts, of Kalama, Wash., has been held without bail since the Jan. 5 shooting.

    Painter was shot at a car stereo shop where he'd gone to investigate a report of an attempted car theft.

    Columbia County District Attorney Stephen Atchison said he'll decide later whether to seek the death penalty, after looking into Butts' background and consulting with Painter's family and officers who were involved.

    "It wouldn't be fair to make a decision now and then have to change it, one way or another," he said.

    Butts' lawyer Patrick Sweeney did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press seeking comment Friday evening.

    Butts was wounded, hit in the back, in a shootout after the police chief was shot. Three policemen from nearby towns who were among the officers rushing to the shop fired their weapons. The grand jury said they were justified in doing so.

    Atchison said he didn't expect to release more details about how Butts got the weapon from Painter, unless they come up in pretrial hearings.

    Painter, 55, graduated from high school in nearby St. Helens in 1974 and joined the Rainier Department in 1988. He was named chief in 2006.

    http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...writethru.html

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    Arraignment postponed by chief murder suspect's outburst

    An arraignment for Daniel Butts on charges he murdered the Rainier police chief was postponed after he became loud and disorderly Wednesday. Attorneys also raised questions about Butts’ stability. The judge suspended the hearing after about eight minutes.

    Last week, a grand jury charged the 21-year-old man with taking a firearm from Rainier Police Chief Ralph Painter and then shooting him to death. He's been charged with aggravated murder, which could carry the death penalty.

    The indictment accuses Butts of multiple counts, including theft of the weapon, which was described as a pistol.

    Butts has been held without bail on murder charges since the shooting in the northwest Oregon town on Jan. 5.

    Painter was shot at a car stereo shop where he'd gone to investigate a report of an attempted car theft.

    District Attorney Stephen Atchison said he'd decide later whether to seek the death penalty.

    http://www.nwcn.com/home/?fId=114681...&fDomain=10202

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    Suspected police killer seeks competency hearing

    The 21-year-old man accused of shooting and killing the police chief of Rainier, Ore., has asked for a mental health examination and to suspend all proceedings in his murder trial.

    The attorneys for Daniel Butts of Kalama, Wash., will argue before Judge Ted Grove on Wednesday that Butts needs to be examined by a court-appointed forensic neuropsychologist to see whether he is competent to stand trial.

    Butts is charged with aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, robbery, burglary, theft, unauthorized use of a vehicle and recklessly endangering another person. If convicted of aggravated murder, Butts could face the death penalty if prosecutors choose to seek it in the death of Chief Ralph Painter.

    Painter was shot after responding to a suspicious person call at a stereo shop.

    http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...rshootout.html

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    Butts’ psychological examination complete, waiting judicial review

    A mental evaluation has been completed to determine if Daniel Butts, the Washington man accused of murdering Rainier Police Chief Ralph Painter, can aid and assist in his own defense.

    At the moment, the findings are sealed. The results will undergo a judicial review to determine the next steps.

    Butts, 21, from Kalama, Wash. underwent two evaluations from within the Columbia County Jail, once on March 4 and another on March 8. A doctor assigned to the case by the Oregon State Hospital conducted the evaluations and delivered the findings.

    Butts’ attorneys believe he may suffer from serious psychological conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder. His mental health was questioned further after a courtroom outburst in late January.

    Last month, Sheriff Jeff Dickerson said Butts’ demeanor has changed from confrontational to more passive and accepting of jail life.

    Butts is accused of shooting Painter once in the head with the officer’s gun following a struggle outside Rainier Sound Authority Jan. 5. Butts was wounded after a shoot-out with police following the alleged murder.

    If convicted of aggravated murder, Butts could face the death penalty.

    http://www.spotlightnews.net/news/st...32757854932600

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    Judge denies release of Butts’ psychological records

    The psychological evaluation of Daniel Butts, accused of killing Rainier Chief of Police Ralph Painter, will remain sealed, despite the efforts of the state’s largest newspaper.

    A Circuit Court judge denied the Oregonian’s motion to intervene in Butts’ case on June 9. The motion would have effectively unsealed Butts’ psychological evaluation.

    Though Circuit Court Judge Ted Grove made a verbal ruling denying the motion, he has yet to complete a written order outlining his reasoning.

    Motions to intervene are typically used to unseal documents that are of public interest. The tactic has never been used in the county, however.

    “Since there’s no record of that, there’s no precedent for that in this county,” said District Attorney Stephen Atchison.

    Butts’ next court appearance will be on July 22 at a hearing to determine whether he’s mentally fit to stand trial. He’s accused of shooting Painter in the head after the police chief responded to a car-prowl call on Jan. 5.

    At his arraignment Butts lashed out at his own attorneys. They later requested the psychological evaluation, believing Butts suffered from various psychological disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder.

    Psychologists with the Oregon State Hospital have met with Butts twice since his arrest in January. His mental-health evaluation will serve as the basis for whether he’s deemed fit to stand trial for aggravated murder, for which he could face the death penalty.

    http://www.spotlightnews.net/news/st...17268106310500

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    Judge grants The Oregonian's request to release mental health evaluation of Daniel Butts

    A Columbia County Circuit Court judge has granted The Oregonian newspaper’s May request to release the mental health evaluation of accused cop killer, Daniel Butts, officials said today.

    Columbia County District Attorney Steve Atchison said Columbia County Judge Ted Grove will allow the release of the Butts’ mental health evaluation on July 15, one week before a scheduled hearing to determine if Butts can aid and assist in his defense.

    Atchison said the mental health evaluation of Butts, 21, who is accused of shooting of Rainier Police Chief Ralph Painter on January 5, was completed in mid-April. The evaluation was done by an Oregon doctor who traveled twice to the Columbia County Jail in St. Helens to assess the 21-year-old Butts’ mental state.

    It will be up to Judge Grove to determine, based on the report, if Butts can aid and assist in his his own defense. Atchison said the judge could rule that Butts can aid in his defense or is unable to aid in his defense. The judge could also ask for additional evaluations.

    Under Oregon law, an aid and assist hearing is held, according to the statute, “if the court has reason to doubt defendant’s fitness.”

    It can order an examination to determine if the defendant is incapacitated by mental illness; if he can understand the nature of the proceedings; assist and cooperate with his attorneys; and participate in his own defense.

    After a hearing in February, Atchison emphasized that the evaluation and any treatment for mental illness is to make sure Butts can aid in his defense.

    "It's not at all an issue of whether he is not responsible because of mental illness for the crime itself," he said. “The aid and assist issue is separate from what his state of mind was at the time of the shooting. It will be up to the judge to decide if we can get this trial going.”

    Butts, of Kalama, Wash., is accused of shooting Painter Jan. 5 at Rainier Sound Authority, an audio store in Rainier. The police chief responded to a call that a man was behaving suspiciously at the store. He and the Butts apparently struggled for a short time, and the suspect somehow managed to get Painter's gun and shoot him in the head, officials said.

    A Columbia County grand jury indicted Butts on nine counts of aggravated murder, which could carry the death penalty, and other charges including attempted aggravated murder, robbery, burglary, theft and unauthorized use of a vehicle.

    Atchison said W. Keith Goody, one of Butts' original lawyers along with Patrick Sweeney, has been replaced by attorney Dianna Gentry.

    Butts, who was wounded in a gun battle with police, had displayed increasingly erratic behavior in the weeks before the encounter with Painter, according to his friends and family.

    At the Columbia County Jail, officials said Butts had to be subdued with a Taser during an outburst. One of his attorney's described his client as "floridly psychotic."

    http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index...onians_re.html

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    Competency hearing for accused killer Daniel Butts delayed while mental health evaluation continues

    The man accused of gunning down Rainier Police Chief Ralph Painter with the chief’s own gun will stay at the Oregon State Hospital for an undetermined length of time for an ongoing mental health evaluation, officials said.

    An initial evaluation, which was due to be released publicly on Friday, will not be released then, said Columbia County District Attorney, Steve Atchison.

    Daniel Butts, 21, is accused of shooting of Painter on Jan. 5, at a Rainier audio shop. A Columbia County grand jury indicted him on nine counts of aggravated murder, which could carry the death penalty, and other charges including attempted aggravated murder, robbery, burglary, theft and unauthorized use of a vehicle.

    Columbia County Circuit Court Judge Ted Grove ordered the initial evaluation at the request of Butts’ attorneys, and it was completed in mid-April. The evaluation was done by an Oregon doctor who traveled twice to the Columbia County Jail in St. Helens to assess Butts’ mental state.

    Late last month, Judge Grove granted The Oregonian’s May request to release the mental health evaluation tomorrow, a week before a scheduled aid and assist hearing. But on July 8 Grove granted Butts’ attorney’s request to send Butts to the state hospital in Salem for additional evaluation, Atchison said.

    It will be up to Grove to determine, based on the reports, if Butts can assist in his defense. Atchison said the judge could rule that Butts can aid in his defense or is unable to aid in his defense.

    Atchison said he is scheduled to meet with the judge and Butts’ attorneys in the judge’s chambers next Friday at 9 a.m. to “see where we are in the process and when we can schedule a hearing.”

    “We don’t know how long the evaluation will take, or when we will get the report,’’ Atchison said.

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