AURORA, Colo. — An Aurora police officer resigned instead of being terminated after an internal investigation found that he allegedly consumed drugs seized as evidence, Aurora police announced Wednesday.
APD said officer Michael Gallagher allegedly seized the narcotics from a traffic stop, later ingested them while driving home, and became incapacitated in his vehicle on a Commerce City highway. Police did not say when the alleged incident occurred.
He’s also accused of knowingly making untruthful statements during a criminal or internal investigation, or while testifying under oath.
“Every member of this organization takes an oath to serve and protect this community with professionalism, compassion and integrity. What occurred here violated that oath, our policies, and the trust placed in us by the public,” Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said in a statement.
Chamberlain said his department acted quickly after the allegations came to light by immediately removing him from duty and placing him on administrative leave. However, Chamberlain did not provide details about how the alleged misconduct was discovered.
“The actions identified in this investigation are fundamentally incompatible with the responsibilities and integrity required of a peace officer. Our community should expect the highest level of professionalism from its police department, and I expect the same from every member of this organization,” Chamberlain said in a statement.
He said the case has been referred to the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office for possible criminal charges.
APD did not provide details about how long Gallagher had been employed by the department. Denver7 has reached out to the department for more information.
