FIRESTONE, Colo. (KDVR) — A group of Firestone community members say they fully support the Firestone Police Chief while he is on paid administrative leave during an independent investigation.

“His reputation precedes him,” said Drew Peterson, a former town board member and a Firestone resident who rallied a group of neighbors to appear together in front of Firestone’s Town Hall on Friday, to show their support for the chief.

One person carried a Thin Blue Line police flag and another wore a t-shirt with the words “I support Chief Montgomery” inside a heart-shaped American flag.

 “This is a chief that has been our chief for 22 years. He came here when had just two officers. He built this department into the department it is,” said Peterson.

Dan Mahoney showed up to support the chief despite never meeting Montgomery.

“I think there is nothing to do but be patient, let the chief know we’re grateful for what he’s done in the past decades for our town, and yeah, we’ll wait and see if anything comes to light,” he said.

As the Problem Solvers previously reported, the chief has been on paid administrative leave since February, when the city manager said he was advised by counsel that the town should launch an investigation into “allegations of misconduct.”

“I did not have a problem with the fact that there is an investigation. That’s a normal due process, but I did not appreciate it being made public the way it has been,” said Peterson.

In March, several community members expressed concerns about the situation to the town board.

The board issued a statement saying that the agency that provides insurance to the town encouraged them to involve a third-party investigator.

“We all have a deep admiration and appreciation for (the Chief) and his service to the town. Please don’t mistake our required silence as a lack of support. We are simply unable to comment on an ongoing investigation,” the board said in a statement.