AURORA — Police Commander Ricky Bennett has resigned after his gun went off accidently inside a locker room last week and he didn’t report it promptly.
Bennett was the former police chief in Aurora until he stepped down two years ago because of how his office handled the case of Brent Brents, a convicted child molester who later raped several women.
Aurora police would not identify Bennett specifically as the senior commander who quit, but sources said it was Bennett, who worked in District 1 in northeast Aurora. A woman who answered the phone in District 1 Monday said Bennett no longer worked there.
In a written statement, Police Chief Dan Oates said not reporting the incident initially was a violation of police policy and that the matter was being investigated.
No one was injured from the one shot that was accidently fired. Police would not say anything else about the incident because it is a personnel matter.
Bennett stepped down as chief in March 2005 amid the fallout over the department’s failure to arrest Brents. Brents raped and attacked several women in Denver and Aurora before he was arrested.
Bennett was made a captain after he stepped down as chief, and he was promoted in August from captain to commander to head District 1.
Bennett could not be reached for comment.
Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175 or cillescas@denverpost.com.
