Reuben Liska, a patrol officer who had worked for the department for about a year, was involved in an investigation by the Colorado Bureau of Investigations that concluded in April, according to Furse.
Liska faces a first-degree misconduct charge, which is a Class 2 misdemeanor, Furse said.
He is being charged in connection with a Jan. 21 incident in which he allegedly had “inappropriate physical contact” with someone who reported a crime, Furse said.
The district attorney added that a CBI investigation began the day of the incident. Police Chief Roy Lane said Liska was put on administrative leave the same day, and he resigned during the investigation.
“We received a complaint, and we turned it over to CBI right away,” Lane said.
Liska was hired by the police department in July of 2016, after leaving his previous job as a deputy in the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office.
Lane said he believes the misconduct was an isolated incident, and he doesn’t plan to make any department policy change as a result.
“No other charges exist in that case,” Furse said, “but it’s something, obviously, that should not be happening during his time on duty.” He added that the suspect is “innocent until proven guilty.”
As of Wednesday, Liska did not yet have a scheduled court date. Furse said it takes 30 to 40 days for the courts to process a charge and issue a summons.
Furse said that if convicted, Liska could face 3 to 12 months in jail and/or a fine of $250 to $1,000, the standard sentence for a Class 2 misdemeanor.
Liska’s case was one of two recently concluded CBI investigations into Montezuma County law enforcement officials.
Montezuma County deputy Adam Alcon faces charges of theft and misconduct. He is suspected of stealing sheriff’s equipment between Jan. 1 and April 1, including an ITT night vision goggle set, a patrol rifle scope and about 200 rounds of .223-caliber ammunition, in order to sell them to outside parties.
