A Weld County Sheriff's Office deputy is on the other side of the bars after being arrested Thursday on suspicion of assault and violating a protection order, according to county officials. Investigators say the alleged conduct happened during the last week of May and surfaced after an internal probe by the agency.
Alex Porter, 23, was taken into custody just before 5 p.m. Thursday and booked on suspicion of third-degree assault, a stalking-protection order violation, misconduct, tampering with physical evidence, and harassment, the sheriff's office said, according to CBS Colorado. The allegations triggered both a criminal investigation and a separate internal review inside the department.
Porter is a P.O.S.T.-certified patrol deputy who has been with the sheriff's office for four years and has now been placed on unpaid administrative leave while both investigations move forward. "Law enforcement officers are expected to hold themselves to a higher standard than the average citizen. Unfortunately, this incident occurred, but justice must be applied equally," Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams said in a statement to CBS Colorado.
What the charges mean
Under Colorado law, assault in the third degree is classified as a class 1 misdemeanor and treated as an extraordinary-risk offense that can alter potential sentencing ranges under C.R.S. 18-3-204, according to Justia. Violation of a protection order is generally a class 2 misdemeanor, but can be bumped up to a class 1 misdemeanor when aggravating factors are present, under C.R.S. 18-6-803.5, per Justia. Those classifications will frame the possible penalties if prosecutors decide to file formal charges.
Local context
Porter's arrest is the latest in a string of cases where Weld County Sheriff's Office personnel have faced criminal scrutiny. In July 2025, the department arrested a detention deputy on felony charges of sexual conduct with an inmate and put that deputy on unpaid administrative leave while both a criminal investigation and an internal review played out, according to a press release from the Weld County Sheriff's Office and Hoodline coverage of the alleged sexual misconduct with an inmate. The sheriff's office also posts daily arrest records and contact information on its website for residents who have tips or questions.
What happens next
The criminal investigation into Porter remains active, and the Nineteenth Judicial District will handle any court filings or hearings that may follow. Porter is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court. The sheriff's office said it will keep cooperating with outside investigators and declined to comment further beyond its initial statement to local media.
