Melissa Montoya

The News-Press

A board has denied disability pension for the police officer who fatally shot a 73-year-old woman during a public training session last year.

WINK News reported the Punta Gorda Police Officer's Pension Fund Board voted unanimously against giving Lee Coel disability pension because he was not eligible. Those who are terminated do not qualify, WINK reported.

Coel said he was suffering post-traumatic stress disorder because of the shooting, WINK said.

The shooting happened on Aug. 9, 2016, as the Punta Gorda Police Department was doing a shoot-don't shoot scenario for a Chamber of Commerce event.

Mary Knowlton, a retired librarian, was pretending to be a cop and Coel a bad guy. Coel fired his weapon, which had live ammunition, during the training scenario, striking Knowlton.

Coel was fired in March. He faces manslaughter charges for Knowltons death. A trial is set for next year.

A jury found police Chief Tom Lewis was not responsible for Knowlton's death. Lewis remains on administrative leave from the department pending an internal affairs investigation.

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