SALIDA, COLO – The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office is evaluating allegations of misconduct involving one of their officers related to an incident that occurred on October 31, 2024 in Salida.
Chaffee County Sheriff Sergeant Sean Hayes has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal affairs investigation related to Hayes’ alleged use of excessive physical force.
The Park County Sheriff’s Office also completed a criminal investigation of the incident at the request of Chaffee County Sheriff Andy Rohrich. District Attorney for the 11th Judicial District, Jeff Lindsey, has charged Hayes with official misconduct, official oppression, and harassment, each a class 1 misdemeanor. Hayes turned himself in to authorities in Chaffee County following the issuance of an arrest warrant on November 27. He is being released on a $1000 cash/surety bond.
The Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office is proactively providing this information to the public be transparent with the community and reinforce the agency’s commitment to integrity and accountability.
Sheriff Andy Rohrich shares, “Although complaints of this magnitude are very rare, the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office takes all claims of misconduct by our deputies very seriously. I want to take this opportunity to reaffirm the importance of holding our agency to the highest professional standards and honoring the trust of our community. We are fully committed to following due process of the law for all persons involved.”
Investigations are on-going and all individuals are presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
