Colorado psychiatric hospital police chief under investigation by the CBI

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation opened an investigation last week into the police chief of the Colorado Mental Health Hospital in Pueblo and the chief was removed from his post, the Denver Post confirmed Wednesday.

Richard McMorran was escorted from the hospital’s sprawling 300-acre campus last week, sources with knowledge of the incident told The Denver Post. When reached by phone Wednesday, he declined to comment.

CBI spokesman Rob Low confirmed that officials opened a “possible criminal investigation” into the psychiatric hospital on Sept. 26 at the request of the Colorado Department of Human Services, which oversees the facility. He declined to specify the purpose of the investigation or provide further comment.

AnneMarie Harper, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Human Services, did not answer questions about why McMorran was fired, but confirmed in an email Wednesday that the chief was “on leave.”

The small police department at the state psychiatric hospital handles criminal matters on the 516-bed campus. The department includes a handful of certified police officers as well as a number of security guards.

Read the full story from our partners at The Denver Post.