A Denver police division chief and her husband, a police sergeant, were placed on administrative leave this week after a disciplinary investigation found they violated policy, according to the city’s Department of Public Safety.
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Division Chief Magen Dodge and Sgt. Justin Dodge were both placed on paid leave Thursday. The couple was issued letters that recommend disciplinary action following a sustained policy violation, Brent Weisberg, a spokesman for the Department of Public Safety, confirmed Friday.
The details of the alleged misconduct were not immediately clear Friday, though CBS Colorado, which first reported the administrative leave, previously reported that Magen Dodge was accused of creating a toxic work environment and Justin Dodge faced allegations of interfering with internal affairs investigations.
The Department of Public Safety worked with an independent outside investigator during the disciplinary investigation, Weisberg said in a statement, and the Office of the Independent Monitor reviewed draft findings and disciplinary recommendations, as is standard procedure.
The married couple can present “mitigating facts” before the final decision on discipline is made, Weisberg said in the statement. The city will not release additional information while the disciplinary process is ongoing.
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There is no set timeline for the disciplinary cases to conclude, he said.
Both Magen Dodge and Justin Dodge — who have worked for the Denver Police Department for 27 and 28 years, respectively — have made headlines in the past.
Magen Dodge brought a gender discrimination complaint against former police Chief Robert White in 2019, alleging that the police chief made sexist remarks. The city agreed to pay Dodge $280,000 and give her a job heading up the department’s internal affairs division to settle that complaint. White was cleared of wrongdoing in an internal investigation; he retired in 2018.
Justin Dodge was run over by a fire truck during the Denver Nuggets’ NBA championship parade in 2023, forcing the amputation of his left leg under the knee. He returned to work on the city’s SWAT team in 2024.
Denver police representatives did not return requests for comment on this story. Magen and Justin Dodge could not be reached for comment.
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