Gura Retiring As Perkasie Chief
He’s 55 years old and he says it’s time to take a rest.
He says the shooting death of a mentally ill man in June was a factor in his decision to step down, but not the main one.
In that incident an officer shot 26-year-old Michael Marino of Quakertown after losing control of a struggle with him.
The chief spent nearly six months reviewing the incident and concluded that no department procedures were violated, but it was a tragedy and officers will get additional training in handling people with mental illness.
Bucks County District Attorney David Heckler ruled earlier that it was a justifiable homicide, but police could have moved him to a safer spot to subdue him and could have given him more time to calm down.
Chief Gura says he has not made any decision about taking another job.
