Shakeup at Park County Sheriff's Office after fatal shooting of deputy

Park County Shakeup Following Deputy’s Death: Sergeant Resigns, Undersheriff On Leave
By Brian Maass
March 2, 2016 11:59 PM

DENVER (CBS4) – CBS4 has learned that a Park County sheriff’s sergeant was in the process of being demoted, and then resigned Monday over the tactics that led to the Feb. 24 death of Cpl. Nate Carrigan. Additionally, CBS4 has learned Park County Undersheriff Monte Gore was placed on paid administrative leave Monday.

Wegener declined to comment further about what precisely Tonjes did that led to his demotion and resignation.

At the same time, Gore, the No. 2 administrator with the department, was placed on administrative leave. Wegener said there were some concerns about the way Gore notified Carrigan’s father about his son’s death. But he said he placed his undersheriff on leave this week for some “administrative things that were done incorrectly. It was a series of events,” said Wegener, although he declined to elaborate on what those events were.

Shakeup at Park County Sheriff's Office after fatal shooting of deputy
By Kieran Nicholson, The Denver Post
Posted: 03/02/2016 10:15:59 PM MST

An update to the earlier stories:
Park County sheriff: Shakeup prompted by actions after deputy's death
Sheriff Fred Wegener said disciplinary action was taken because of the actions of 2 top deputies
By Jesse Paul, The Denver Post
Posted: 03/03/2016

Wegener, in a statement Thursday, stressed that Sgt. Welles Tonjes and Undersheriff Monte Gore were not involved in the planning or execution of the eviction and that discipline against them had nothing to do with the incident itself.

The sheriff said the actions of the two had to be addressed to ensure "continued smooth operation of the sheriff's office."

Wegener on Thursday stressed the shakeup in his department had nothing directly to do with the Feb. 24 gun battle. Last week he stood firmly behind how the eviction was carried out .

Wegener did not respond to multiple requests for an interview and said in a statement that he would not comment further about the personnel matters.

The sheriff, however, told Denver television stations that he was upset with how Gore handled news releases after the shooting and that problems surfaced with how Tonjes interacted with subordinate officers.

Park County undersheriff suspended, sergeant quits
Park County Sheriff Fred Wegener told 9NEWS he suspended his long-time undersheriff Monte Gore and a sergeant on his department quit as a result of disciplinary actions. 9NEWS at 8 a.m. 3/3/2016.
Anastasiya Bolton, KUSA
11:19 AM. MST March 03, 2016

Wegener said he suspended Gore with pay pending the outcome of the investigation into "procedural issues," until the internal fact-finding investigation is complete.

"He had a press release that had some issues," Wegener said. "He did some other things incorrectly, more along the lines of grammatical things I thought should've been taken care of before they were put out."

According to Wegener, Gore wrote things that didn't happen, like the fact he drove to the hospital with the sheriff.

"I don't like inaccuracies like that," Wegener said. "I expected more from the undersheriff."

When asked how long Gore would be on leave, Wegener said he hoped the investigation would be done next week, so he could sit down with Gore sometime after Carrigan's funeral on March 14.

Wegener said Sgt. Welles Tonjes quit after being offered a demotion to deputy.

"He had supervisory issues with his subordinates that were not dealt [with] correctly," the sheriff said

Looks like the tip of the iceberg. And more to come.

I am grateful that the CBI is investigating and I hope it is thorough with some major reviews and recommendations that will increase the odds of Officers and Citizens surviving problematic situations.

The greatest loss to a Sheriff is one of his Officers in the line of duty. Prayers continue for Sheriff Wegener and all the Officers. RIP Corporal Nate Carrigan.

I just hope they don't overreact. A few years ago a metro officer went down, Vanderjakt, I think. He was killed in a stairwell after a high speed chase. After that death, the police got very hesitant, next up, Columbine, the police waited outside because they didn't want another Vanderjakt. This is the first shooting death of a Park County deputy ever. They probably don't need to re-invent all their procedures for a once in a century death.

Park County Pays Departing Undersheriff $131,000
April 7, 2016
By Brian Maass

FAIRPLAY, Colo. (CBS4) – The Park County Board of County Commissioners on Thursday agreed to pay Undersheriff Monte Gore $131,128 in severance following Gore’s April 1 resignation after 15 years with the Park County Sheriff’s Department.

Gore was placed on paid leave following the Feb. 24 death of Corporal Nate Carrigan who died when he was shot during an eviction procedure.

At a morning meeting, the Park County commissioners approved of the $131,128 payout to Gore, along with a positive letter of reference for Gore and health benefits that will continue until October.

Park County commissioners to consider separation agreement with undersheriff
Undersheriff Monte Gore was suspended after the deadly eviction attempt in Bailey
By Jesse Paul, The Denver Post
Posted: 04/06/2016

Park County's commissioners on Thursday are set to consider a separation agreement with Undersheriff Monte Gore as a sheriff's office shakeup continues in the wake of an eviction attempt that left one deputy dead and two others wounded.

Tom Eisenman, the county's administrator, said he could not speak further on the proposed separation per the terms of the agreement.

A board of commissioner's agenda calls the agreement a settlement.

The shootout is under investigation by Eleventh Judicial District Attorney Thom Ledoux. Ledoux told The Post he will analyze the case as if it were any other officer-involved shooting in order to determine if there was any criminal wrongdoing on the part of the sheriff's office.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation said last week it is close to completing its probe of the shootout.

Family Of Slain Deputy: ‘It Was Unnecessary’
By Brian Maass
April 28, 2016 10:00 PM

BAILEY, Colo. (CBS4) – The family of slain Park County Deputy Nathan Carrigan lashed out at the Park County sheriff in an exclusive interview with CBS4 questioning the February eviction operation near Bailey that left the 35-year-old deputy dead and two other members of the Park County Sheriff’s Office wounded.

“My son is dead and that is the only truth that has come out of this department,” said John Carrigan, about the Feb. 24 incident that resulted in the death of his son.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has probed what happened and their report is expected to be released within weeks, if not days.

Leading up to that, Carrigan’s mother and father say they have numerous questions about the tactics and rationale behind the eviction attempt.

“I want to know why,” said Carrigan’s mother Melissa, “Why did they do it this way?”

Report Shows Warnings Before Park County Shootout
June 29, 2016 11:44 AM
By Brian Maass

BAILEY, Colo. (CBS4)– A Park County communications report obtained by CBS4 shows that the Park County Sheriff’s Office had advance warning of at least some of the danger posed by activist Martin Wirth before deputies attempted to evict him in an action that turned deadly.

The newly obtained report obtained by CBS4 is known as a CAD report- a computer aided dispatch report- which details actions taken by deputies and other first responders down to the second. The account is essentially all radio traffic from that day transcribed. According to the report, five deputies were going to be sent to the Wirth home on Iris Drive around 9 a.m. Feb. 24.

“There was an active alert on the address,” states the report. “This address is going to be foreclosed on. Martin Worth(sic) who lives here, is threatening anyone who tries to take his property” according to the dispatchers notes.

That account differs from previous statements by Park County Sheriff Fred Wegener who previously told CBS4, “Never had any indication from past comments that he was going to be violent. We didn’t have any real indication he was going to shoot somebody.”

From the Editor’s Desk
Isn’t it about time to release the official reports on the Carrigan incident?

Walter L. Newton, Editor

It has been over four months since Park County Sheriff’s Office Corporal Nate Carrigan was shot and killed by home squatter Martin Wirth, during an eviction at 36 Iris Drive in Bailey and yet the press and the public still have not been given access to the official reports of the incident.

www.theflume.com/free_content/article_12...76-3792ddcb6d58.html

No charges to be filed against Park County deputies involved in shootout with Martin Wirth[/b]
Authorities say Martin Wirth shot and killed Cpl. Nate Carrigan and two other Park County sheriff’s deputies
By JESSE PAUL | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. PUBLISHED: August 16, 2016 at 12:13 pm | UPDATED: August 16, 2016 at 3:13 pm

Undersheriff Dave Wohlers confirmed the decision by 11th Judicial District Attorney’s Office on Tuesday. Wohlers said Park County Sheriff Fred Wegener was notified of the decision late last week.

Officials have yet to release documents from an investigation the Feb. 24 shootout, which happened as deputies tried to evict Wirth from his home in Bailey. Cpl. Nate Carrigan died in the encounter.

Wohlers said the details of a Colorado Bureau of Investigation review of the shooting will be released in the coming days or weeks.

On Monday, lawyers for Carrigan’s family and another deputy — Kolby Martin — who was seriously wounded in the encounter said they have filed a notice of claim putting the sheriff’s office on notice that they plan to sue the sheriff’s office over how the eviction was carried out.