A former Special Forces group commander and the current chief of staff assigned to I Corps at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, was arrested Sunday on allegations of domestic assault and felony harassment, according to Army officials and public court records.
Col. Owen G. Ray was arrested early Sunday morning by Lakewood police officers and booked into the Pierce County Jail in Washington.
Army CID currently is working a supporting role with the police officers who are investigating the incident, according to I Corps spokesman Lt. Col. Neil Penttila.
Booking information shows Ray is currently being held on charges of felony assault, harassment threats related to domestic violence, unlawful imprisonment and malicious mischief. Author Jack Murphy first reported the charges.
Penttila said I Corps officials are monitoring the allegations against Ray.
“We have been in contact with local law enforcement, who have informed us that the investigation is still on-going,” Penttila said in a statement. “While the investigation continues, we will work closely with the Family and the Officer to provide support services including counseling, behavior health support, and legal assistance. The safety of everyone involved is the command’s priority.”
When reached for comment, Lakewood police said they were assisting fellow officers from DuPont, a town 10 miles southwest of Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
DuPont police said in a statement on social media that they were dispatched to a residence in the 1500 block of Bittner Ct. for a disturbance involving a possible weapon, but the situation was ultimately “stabilized and resolved without force.”
The DuPont Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for the arrest report or charge sheets. Ray could not be reached for comment and no other information pertaining to the charges was immediately available.
Prior to serving as I Corps chief of staff, Ray led 1st Special Forces Group, also at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. An archived news release stated that Ray gave up command of 1st Group during a July ceremony.
Kyle Rempfer was an editor and reporter who has covered combat operations, criminal cases, foreign military assistance and training accidents. Before entering journalism, Kyle served in U.S. Air Force Special Tactics and deployed in 2014 to Paktika Province, Afghanistan, and Baghdad, Iraq.
