FAIRPLAY Colo. - On November 16, 2005, the Office of the District Attorney filed criminal charges against Lt. Edward Rasch of the Park County Sheriff's Office for First Degree Official Misconduct and Harassment, both misdemeanors. Investigator Rob Martellaro of the Eleventh Judicial District Attorney's Salida Office obtained an arrest warrant for Lt. Rasch from Chief District Court Judge Charles M. Barton. This action concludes a month long investigation by the District Attorney's Office into allegations of work place harassment at the Park County Sheriff's Office. The arrest warrant was executed on the premises of the Sheriff's office building in Fairplay on Wednesday and Rasch was subsequently released on $500 bond.

Charges specifically allege Harassment in violation of CRS, 18-9-111(1)(a)(b), a Class 3 Misdemeanor, and First Degree Official Misconduct, in violation of CRS, 18-8-404(1)(c), a Class 2 Misdemeanor.

The 57-year-old former Lieutenant was employed by the Park County Sheriff's Department in the position of Supervisor of Communications and Animal Control. The victim of the alleged violations is an Animal Control Officer and was under the former Lieutenant's chain of command.

The supporting information for the charges alleges inappropriate sexual comments and physical actions by Rasch between July 28, 2004 and August 15, 2004 directed toward the employee. Other employees of the Department were interviewed as witnesses to the alleged behavior. According to the supporting documents, witnesses state that they do not recall an exact time or date of the incident(s), but some witnesses state that they do recall being present during one incident reported.