William Ward

Introduction

William Ward is a former sergeant with the Johnstown Police Department in Johnstown, Colorado. He was terminated on July 20, 2026, following an internal disciplinary investigation into his conduct on May 28, 2026, when, according to the department’s disciplinary action report, he arrived for duty shortly after 6 a.m. in full uniform, carrying his firearm and operating a town-owned police vehicle, and officers under his supervision suspected he was intoxicated. A preliminary breath test registered a blood alcohol concentration of 0.107, and Ward acknowledged consuming approximately 15 alcoholic drinks the previous evening. The department sustained allegations that he violated policies concerning reporting for duty while intoxicated or impaired and operating a town-owned vehicle while impaired, but the disciplinary action did not establish whether criminal offenses occurred. The Larimer County District Attorney’s Office continues a criminal investigation into the incident.

Background Information

Public information about Ward is limited almost entirely to the May 2026 incident and the investigations that followed it. Neither the disciplinary action report nor the department’s later public statements disclose his age, how long he served with the Johnstown Police Department, or when he attained the rank of sergeant. The May 28 incident occurred at a Johnstown Police Department substation within Larimer County, a detail that became significant after Ward’s termination, when prosecutors learned where the incident had taken place. The department’s own policy, as it confirmed in an October 14, 2026 press release, required an outside law enforcement agency to lead an independent investigation of the incident, and the department later acknowledged that notification to prosecutors did not occur within the expected timeframe.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation

Administrative finding, criminal probe pending. The intoxication findings are the conclusions of an internal police disciplinary investigation, not a criminal adjudication: Ward was fired for policy violations and has not been charged with a crime. The Larimer County District Attorney’s criminal investigation remains ongoing, and he is presumed innocent of any criminal conduct.

According to the department’s disciplinary action report, Ward arrived for duty shortly after 6 a.m. on May 28, 2026, in full uniform, carrying his firearm and operating a town-owned police vehicle. Officers under his supervision suspected he was intoxicated. A preliminary breath test registered a blood alcohol concentration of 0.107, and subsequent testing documented additional alcohol readings. Ward acknowledged consuming approximately 15 alcoholic drinks the previous evening.

The department sustained allegations that Ward violated policies concerning reporting for duty while intoxicated or impaired and operating a town-owned vehicle while impaired. Those findings resulted in his termination on July 20, 2026. The disciplinary action, however, did not establish whether criminal offenses had occurred, a distinction that became central after the Larimer County District Attorney’s Office opened a criminal investigation into his conduct.

Public Reaction and Consequences

Larimer County District Attorney Gordon McLaughlin initiated an investigation after learning that Ward’s May 28 incident occurred at a Johnstown Police Department substation within Larimer County. According to an October 7 investigation by 9NEWS, Weld County District Attorney Michael Rourke contacted McLaughlin on October 5, 2026, to clarify where the incident occurred, and McLaughlin said his office had previously been aware that a Johnstown officer had been terminated but did not learn until October 5 that the incident occurred within Larimer County’s jurisdiction. McLaughlin criticized the delay, saying Johnstown Police should have contacted prosecutors or requested an outside investigation when the incident occurred. He subsequently requested the department’s investigative records and contacted commanders of the Critical Incident Response Team (CIRT).

In an October 8 email to Johnstown Republic, Kylie Massman, communications and community engagement specialist for the Larimer County District Attorney’s Office, confirmed that Fort Collins Police Services would lead the investigation through CIRT. The district attorney’s office also said investigators would examine why the incident had not previously been reported to prosecutors.

On October 14, 2026, the Johnstown Police Department issued a press release acknowledging that its “established procedures were not followed” in handling the incident. The department confirmed that an outside law enforcement agency should have conducted an independent investigation and acknowledged that notification to the Larimer County District Attorney’s Office “did not occur within the expected timeframe.” It attributed the earlier decisions to an unidentified former employee who is no longer with the organization, stating that those actions “did not follow department policy.” The statement did not identify the former employee, explain which specific decisions that individual made, or provide the policy number governing outside investigations. The department said current leadership is taking steps to address the concerns and strengthen accountability, but it did not identify specific corrective measures or provide a timeline for their implementation.

Current Status

The Larimer County criminal investigation remains ongoing. The district attorney’s office previously confirmed that no criminal charges had been filed as of October 8, 2026, and that findings and charging decisions would be shared following the investigation’s completion. In its October 14 release, the department said it is cooperating fully with the Larimer County District Attorney’s Office as the criminal investigation continues and “would not comment on potential criminal charges, investigative findings, or other matters that could compromise the investigation.” Johnstown Republic has contacted Johnstown Communications Manager Samantha Knowlton seeking clarification about the October 14 statement, including the identity and position of the former employee referenced in the release, the specific decisions that did not comply with policy, and the investigative procedures in effect when the incident occurred; the publication reported that a response had not been received as of publication.

Impact on Their Career/Life

Ward’s career with the Johnstown Police Department ended with his July 20, 2026 termination, and he has been identified in subsequent reporting only as a former sergeant. The sustained administrative findings, covering reporting for duty while intoxicated or impaired and operating a town-owned vehicle while impaired, are the documented basis for that dismissal, though the disciplinary action did not determine whether he committed any criminal offenses. The pending criminal investigation leaves open the possibility of further consequences: as of October 8, 2026, no criminal charges had been filed, and charging decisions await the investigation’s completion. The department’s acknowledgment that its own procedures were not followed has also kept attention on the matter, with unresolved questions about who made the decisions concerning an outside investigation and why prosecutors were not contacted sooner.

Sources

• Johnstown Republic, “Johnstown Police Acknowledge Department Policy Was Not Followed in Former Sergeant’s Intoxication Case,” October 15, 2026 — source