The city of Ouray, Colorado, has fired Police Chief Jeffrey Wood after months of investigation into alleged violations of city and department policies, as well as criminal allegations. Wood was placed on paid administrative leave in January after his stepson and two others allegedly raped a woman in his home. Additional accusations, including mishandling evidence and excessive force, were made while he was on leave.
Investigatory documents revealed that Wood was accused of turning off his body-worn camera, putting a sexually explicit sticker on his truck, and claiming a First Amendment right to call the Black Lives Matter movement a “terrorist organization” while on duty. City Administrator Silas Clarke stated in the termination letter that there was no evidence of unfair targeting and that there were concerns about retaliation preventing formal complaints from being filed.
Wood defended himself in a meeting with Clarke last week, listing his accomplishments and claiming exemption from the bodycam policy. However, the city cited reasons for the termination, including fear of reporting and lack of complaints due to public intimidation. Wood did not respond to requests for comment following his firing.
Wood served as chief since December 2019 and now faces criminal allegations and an end to his law enforcement career. The city of Ouray is now preparing to search for a replacement for the now-former police chief.
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