Officer warned Army about JBLM colonel’s ‘toxic’ behavior months before police standoff
The U.S. Army dismissed a complaint about a Joint Base Lewis-McChord commander’s behavior less than a year before he was accused of domestic violence and engaged in an armed standoff with police, according to documents reviewed by The News Tribune.
Col. Owen Ray, 47, is accused of beating his wife in front of their children and repeatedly threatening to kill himself at the family’s home in DuPont on Dec. 27.
A Green Beret officer, who served under Ray when he was the 1st Special Forces Group commander, filed a complaint with the Office of the Inspector General of the Army and 1st Special Forces Command in February 2020.
In June, the officer received a letter stating the investigation had been completed and the accusations of “toxic leadership” he’d made against Ray were unsubstantiated, according to records reviewed by The News Tribune.
On Dec. 28, Pierce County prosecutors charged Ray with first-degree kidnapping, two counts of second-degree assault, two counts of felony harassment and reckless endangerment.
Ray’s bail was set at $1 million, and he is due back in court on Jan. 11. He’s pleaded not guilty.
Attempts by The News Tribune to reach Ray’s attorney were unsuccessful.
In a statement to the Army Times about Owen’s case, Jared Ausserer, an attorney with Puget Law Group representing Ray, said, “He understands the seriousness of these allegations and hopes to take advantage of services and counseling to better himself as husband and a father, in hopes that [he can] get back to his family that he loves more than anything.” Ausserer declined to comment to the Army Times on the IG complaint.
Ray was suspended from his job as chief of staff of I Corps at JBLM shortly after the incident, according to a spokesperson for I Corps.
The officer who filed the complaint told The News Tribune on Monday that Ray was prone to “emotional outbursts” and would “shame people in public and berate them.” The officer alleged Ray created a toxic climate at 1st Special Forces Group by insisting subordinates “prioritize the mission over everything else,” including family relationships.
The now-retired officer said Ray once told him he was aware he was unpleasant to work for but said Ray never tried to change his approach to leadership. The officer asked to remain anonymous to protect his new civilian career.
Army officials confirmed the IG complaint against Ray was investigated. They declined to comment on the details of the investigation, including why it was deemed “unsubstantiated.”
In the complaint, the officer referenced a specific incident in September 2018 when Ray gathered staff officers together for a seven-mile run as “punishment after a week of staff screw-ups.” Only about one-third of the officers finished with Ray, the rest fell behind, according to the officer.
“It was my impression that he wanted it to suck, and wanted to shame people by having them fall out,” the officer wrote in the complaint. “He did not give a second look after finishing. Several people jumped in cars to go check on people that had fallen out.”
This story was originally published January 8, 2021 at 5:15 AM.
