PORTLAND – A former Portland police officer faces a felony charge for leaving a loaded gun in a place where it was found and handled by his 5-year-old son, who was visiting from Vermont.

The Cumberland County grand jury handed up an indictment Thursday charging Richard Belliveau with reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, a felony, and with endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor.

The allegations came to light after his wife, a Portland officer, filed a protection-from-abuse order against her husband on April 5.

Belliveau’s son twice found a loaded, unlocked gun during biweekly custody visits, and he pointed the gun at Belliveau and his sister, according to documents in Vermont’s Washington County Family Court, where the children’s mother lives.

On April 10, the Vermont court temporarily barred Belliveau from seeing his 5-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter by a previous marriage, at the request of Belliveau’s ex-wife, Dianna Montague of East Montpelier, Vt., the children’s mother.

Portland police started an investigation after the Vermont court order, and information was provided to the Cumberland County district attorney’s office, which sought the indictment.

In addition to losing the right to see his children, Belliveau turned over his badge, his service revolver and other guns he owns after the abuse accusations leveled by his wife in Portland.

The former officer also faces other legal troubles.

Portland police plan to issue a criminal summons to Belliveau in connection with the guns he turned in after he had been served with a protection from abuse order last April, said Police Chief Michael Chitwood.

One of the guns had the serial number obliterated, which is against the law, the chief said.

Belliveau no longer works for the Portland Police Department, but Chitwood declined to say if he was fired. Chitwood said he could not comment on personnel matters that were under appeal.