SALT LAKE CITY — The University of Utah’s deputy chief of police has resigned.
University spokesman Chris Nelson confirmed that Rick McLenon submitted his resignation on Monday, which was accepted on Tuesday by Chief Rodney Chatman. But the school has declined to release any other details surrounding the resignation or whether it’s connected to the ongoing investigation into how the Lauren McCluskey case was handled.
McCluskey, a 21-year-old student-athlete from Pullman, Washington, was shot and killed on Oct. 22, 2018, on campus near her dorm by Melvin Shawn Rowland, 37, after weeks of being stalked and harassed by Rowland. Rowland fatally shot himself hours later as police were closing in to make an arrest.
McCluskey’s family contends police at the U. did not take their daughter’s claims of stalking and extortion seriously. They filed a federal lawsuit saying Lauren’s death was preventable.
After the lawsuit was filed, allegations came to light that one of the officers assigned to McCluskey’s case, Miguel Deras, saved on his personal phone compromising photos of McCluskey that she sent the department to prove she was being extorted. Deras showed the photos in a boasting fashion to other officers, according to the allegations.
Deras and his attorneys have called the claims false.
An internal affairs investigation conducted by U. police in February found no evidence that Deras had bragged about having the photos or shared them in any way except for asking advice from other officers on policy procedure.
Nevertheless, in May, Chatman said he had concerns about how the internal review was done and ordered a second investigation into the alleged photo sharing be conducted. He also placed two employees who conducted the February report on administrative leave.
Nelson declined to say if McLenon was one of the two placed on leave.
The Department of Public Safety is conducting the second investigation into the allegation. A spokesman said its report is still a ways out from being completed.
McLenon was promoted to deputy chief by former Chief Dale Brophy in 2017.
On Monday, McCluskey’s parents filed a second lawsuit in state court, which named Deras, Brophy and others who were assigned to their daughter’s case. It does not name McLenon.