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 Interstate 270 in Commerce City on June 26.
An APD spokesperson said an investigation began that evening. However, they did not provide details about how the alleged misconduct was discovered or if another agency was involved.
Gallagher is also accused of making knowingly false statements during a criminal or internal investigation, or while testifying under oath. Police did not provide additional details about those allegations.
“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, removing him from duty and placing him on administrative leave. An APD spokesperson said Gallagher was on leave for six weeks and resigned Friday.
“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 on how long the department had employed Gallagher or whether he had any history of disciplinary actions. Denver7 has reached out to the department for more information.
