A Johnstown Police Department sergeant was fired in July after an internal investigation found he reported for duty intoxicated and drove a town-owned police vehicle to work.
Sgt. William Ward was terminated July 20 following a May 28 incident, according to a Johnstown Police Department disciplinary action report. The department sustained allegations that Ward violated policies prohibiting employees from reporting to work while intoxicated or impaired and from driving a department- or town-owned vehicle while intoxicated or impaired.
According to the disciplinary report, Ward arrived for duty shortly after 6 a.m. in full uniform, carrying his firearm and driving his town-owned police vehicle. Officers working under Ward became suspicious that he was intoxicated and confronted him about their concerns.
Ward voluntarily submitted to a preliminary breath test, which registered a blood alcohol concentration of 0.107. He told officers he would go home and said he did not feel drunk, according to the report.
The incident was reported further through the department’s chain of command at approximately 8:30 a.m. A department member who subsequently contacted Ward reported detecting the odor of an alcoholic beverage and observing that Ward had glassy eyes. Another preliminary breath test registered a BAC of 0.106.
Ward was then transported to a Medicine for Business and Industry location for additional testing. His BAC measured 0.099 at 9:26 a.m. and 0.097 at 9:41 a.m., according to the department record.
During the investigation, Ward said he had consumed approximately 15 alcoholic drinks the night before and went to bed at approximately 11 p.m.
The internal investigation was assigned July 3 and completed July 7. A subsequent staff review cited Johnstown Police Department policy governing intoxicants as well as the Town of Johnstown’s drug and alcohol policy, which prohibits employees from reporting to work or performing safety-sensitive duties while under the influence of alcohol.
The allegations were sustained, and the disciplinary report lists the final action as termination of employment. The document states that Ward did not sign the report on the advice of his attorney but was given an opportunity to do so.
Circumstances Publicly Reported in August
Although Ward was terminated July 20, the circumstances surrounding his termination were publicly reported Aug. 8 by Blue Surveillance, a Colorado nonprofit newsroom focused on law-enforcement accountability.
Blue Surveillance obtained and published details from Ward’s disciplinary record, bringing the May incident and July termination into public view.
The disciplinary report also lists previous internal findings involving Ward. Those records include a sustained finding related to supervisor responsibilities and another sustained finding involving an unexcused absence or tardiness. Other listed allegations were either unfounded or resulted in exoneration.
Questions Remain About Possible Criminal Enforcement
The disciplinary action resolved Ward’s employment with the Town of Johnstown, but publicly available information does not establish whether he faced criminal enforcement related to driving to work.
Ward’s first documented breath test registered 0.107 shortly after he arrived at the police department.
Blue Surveillance reported that its review of state and county court records found no arrest or court case involving Ward during May, June, July or early August. Johnstown spokesperson Samantha Knowlton told the outlet she did not know whether Ward had been arrested or issued a summons and said she would seek additional information from the police chief.
According to Blue Surveillance’s Aug. 8 report, Knowlton did not provide an additional response before publication.
The disciplinary records address Ward’s employment and the department’s internal findings but do not indicate whether a separate criminal investigation, citation or referral occurred.
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified Johnstown’s police chief as Aaron Sanchez. The article has been corrected to remove that inaccurate attribution.
