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A San Juan County sheriff's officer has been disciplined and a dispatcher remains on leave following allegations that they failed to respond "in accordance with policy" to a domestic dispute reported by the estranged wife of a local police officer.
San Juan County sheriff's Sgt. Joe Harris has been demoted to the rank of deputy and suspended for 30 days without pay, the sheriff confirmed on Friday morning.
The wife of Monticello police Sgt. Cole Young had called 911 on Dec. 2 to report Young had gone to her home — the couple are getting divorced — and attacked a man who was there. She also said Young drove to and from her house while he was drunk.
According to dispatch recordings obtained by KUTV, the dispatcher called at least three different law enforcement officers: Harris and Monticello officer Avery Olsen and Police Chief Kent Adair. All three declined to investigate immediately.
"Harris was contacted by dispatch after receiving the 911 call ... but failed to respond in accordance to policy," Sheriff Rick Eldredge wrote in a media statement.
Instead, Harris and Avery told the dispatcher, Deputy Sheriff Sue Redd, to call Adair for instruction. In that phone call, Adair and Redd can be heard laughing together as Redd describes Young's wife as "mad and pissy." They then ponder briefly on the identity of the man who was at Young's wife's house and laugh about that.
Redd suggests having a deputy speak with Young's wife in the morning, and Avery agrees.
No one began to investigate until 10 a.m. the next day, KUTV reported.
Young, 36, was fired from the police department and charged in 7th District Court with first-degree felony aggravated burglary and misdemeanor assault. Adair was placed on leave.
Redd has said that Eldredge notified her he was recommending she be terminated, according to KUTV. The Tribune could not reach Redd for comment.