SILVERTON, Ore. -- A week after a Silverton officer was cleared in a fatal officer-involved shooting, 20 tires were slashed in the police department parking lot.

Four police cars, two public works vans, two building inspector vehicles and one personally owned car had tires slashed early Friday morning.

Police said the vandalism severely hindered the department's ability to respond to emergencies and public safety issues for several hours. New tires were ordered and replaced by a mobile tire truck.

Two police cars from the Silverton Police Department fleet weren't damaged because they were patrolling the city.

Had an emergency happened, police said they wouldn't have been able to respond as quickly as they normally would.

"Coming to work with four cars down, inoperable, was a real hindrance. Luckily, we still had two vehicles out on the road, on patrol, that will be used," Silverton Police Captain Foss Holm said. "So, yeah, it really hindered us."

Police estimated the damage between $5,000 and $7,000.

They said it took several hours to order new tires and put them back on the cars.

The city of Silverton is offering a $1,500 reward for information leading to the arrest of whoever is responsible.

It's been a tumultuous four weeks for the Silverton Police Department.

On July 1, 20-year-old Andrew Hanlon died after being shot by a Silverton police officer. Hanlon, an Irishman visiting family in the U.S., had suffered from a mental illness.

The shooting sparked outcry overseas in Ireland and in the small town of Silverton.

During an investigation into that shooting, the officer who killed Hanlon was arrested in an unrelated case on charges he sexually abused an underage girl.

Weeks later, a grand jury cleared Silverton officer Tony Gonzalez in Hanlon's shooting. However, he remains jailed in Polk County on the sex abuse charges.

Officers said the tires were slashed Friday between 4:15 a.m. and 6 a.m. Anyone with information is asked to call 503-873-5326.

Vandal Slashes Silverton Police Car Tires