OURAY, Colo — Ouray's police chief is on paid administrative leave after charges were filed over rapes alleged to have occurred at an underage drinking party at his house while he was asleep.
The City of Ouray said Chief Jeff Wood was put on leave Monday.
"This administrative leave is pending the outcome of the criminal proceedings of the alleged rape involving the Chief’s stepson at the Chief’s personal residence," the city said in a news release.
The Ouray County Plaindealer reported earlier this month that the alleged crimes happened in May.
Earlier this month, nearly all the copies of the Plaindealer were stolen from newspaper racks after the paper published a story about the felony sexual assault charges filed against three men, including a relative of the chief. The newspaper theft suspect turned himself in to the police. He told 9NEWS he wanted to protect the identity of the victim, not the accused. He says he and the victim have a relationship.
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The sexual assault suspects were ages 17, 18 and 19 at the time, and the person who reported the rapes was 17, records said. The suspects were all arrested on warrants in December, the Plaindealer reported. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case.
"The City has been monitoring the developing case since July of 2023, which is when Police Chief Wood was made aware of the investigation and immediately reported it to the City Administrator," the city said in a statement last week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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