Suspensions, Resignation Follow Jeffco Jail Death: 'They Are Trying To Fire Us' Says Deputy
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - The top administrator at the Jefferson County jail has resigned, and two female deputies have been suspended following the death of a female inmate at the jail last month. Melissa Chavez, 43, died at the jail Feb. 9.
She had been arrested and jailed Feb. 6.
CBS4 learned the jail's top administrator, Division Chief Rob Reardon, resigned Feb. 22. He had been with the department since 2017. He declined to speak to CBS4 about his reasons for stepping down.
Two female deputies, Alexis Estes and Kassie Kalman, were placed on paid administrative leave Feb. 11, two days after Chavez's death. However, their leaves were changed to unpaid as of March 10.
Jenny Fulton, Director of Public Affairs for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, said "We had completed an incident review of the employees' actions and decided unpaid leave was appropriate."
Reached by phone, Kalman told CBS4 the suspension "Has to do with what happened before her (Chavez's) death. We're not sure if we're going to get our jobs back. They are trying to fire us."
She said, "There is nothing more we could have done for her (Chavez)."
Chavez was found unresponsive in her cell early on the morning of Feb. 9 according to the sheriff's office. Jail staff members attempted to revive her with CPR and administered Narcan, which is used to reverse the effects of an overdose.
The inmate had been arrested for investigation of auto theft, criminal possession of a financial device, criminal possession of an identification document along with outstanding warrants.
A Critical Incident Response Team has been investigating the in-custody death.
