DENVER — Discipline documents obtained by 9NEWS reveal inmates convinced a deputy to allow them to order UberEats, which may have been a scheme to get drugs into the downtown Denver jail.
Deputy Derrek Peterson, who has worked for the Denver Sheriff Department since 2016, was notified of his termination on April 29 because of “his unfitness to hold the position of Denver deputy sheriff.”
The discipline documents indicate Peterson allowed several inmates to order UberEats as a gesture of gratitude for keeping his area of jail clean.
Peterson claims he checked the food and didn’t find any “foreign objects” when he dug into plates containing foods like sesame chicken, fried rice and burritos.
The documents indicate one of the inmates knew someone on the outside who worked for UberEats who would deliver food items at the downtown jail.
The discipline records also indicate an inmate attempted suicide, possibly with drugs that may have been smuggled in with the food.
“Peterson’s actions enabled multiple inmates to obtain drugs, and nearly resulted in the death of LL,” the discipline documents say.
“I made a mistake,” Peterson is quoted in the records as saying. “I take full responsibility for my actions. I was in the wrong and went against my better judgment, and for that, I apologize.”
Despite a plea to keep his job, Peterson was ultimately terminated.
“He unfortunately became an unwary tool in their scheme. Regrettably, Deputy Peterson has faithfully served the Department, but his good service does not negate the reality of what transpired under his watch,” discipline documents said.
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