***Updated*** Army Suspends Former 1st Special Forces Group CO after Arrest on Domestic Violence Charges

| December 28, 2020

Another Green Beret in the news for nefarious conduct.

The U.S. Army has suspended an I Corps colonel at Joint Base Lewis McCord, Washington after he was arrested early Sunday morning and charged with allegedly making death threats and committing assault related to domestic violence.

Army Col. Owen G. Ray — the former commander of 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) — has been suspended from his current job as I Corps chief of staff while a civilian law enforcement investigation into the case continues, I Corps spokesman Lt. Col. Neil Penttila told Military.com.

Ray is being held in the Pierce County Jail in Tacoma, Washington, according to the Pierce County Jail’s website.

Ray was booked by Pierce County Corrections at 3:45 a.m. Sunday on charges of felony harassment threats/domestic violence or death threats, and first-degree assault, which is also a felony, according to the website. Ray was also charged with unlawful imprisonment, a felony, and malicious mischief 3rd degree/domestic violence, a misdemeanor charge, according to the jail.

The Army confirmed the allegations today.

I Corps confirmed Ray’s arrest and released a statement on the case.

“We are monitoring the allegations of domestic assault and felony harassment against Col. Owen Ray,” Penttila said in the statement.

“We have been in contact with local law enforcement, who have informed us that the investigation is still on-going. 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.”

Before assuming the I Corps chief of staff position, Ray commanded the 1st Special Forces Group and held other leadership positions in the Green Beret unit. He served as a detachment commander in 2003 and as a company commander in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2011, according to a previous Army news release.

In 2013, Ray commanded 4th Battalion, 1st SFG as part of the special operations joint task force, according to the release.

Looks like he’s had an excellent career thus far. Here’s one of the Army’s past write ups on the feller; https://www.army.mil/article/208525/ray_returns_to_assume_command_of_1st_sfg_a

As we’ve discussed with other recent, high profile issues in the special operations community, I think our decades of high ops tempo has taken a toll.

Source; Military.com

****UPDATE****

ninja gives us an update below, sourced from here. Army Times has also picked up the latest info on the colonel here.

State and local police near Joint Base Lewis-McChord, in Washington, spent roughly two hours talking a Special Forces colonel armed with a rifle and pistol into surrendering after they responded to a domestic assault in progress call just after midnight Sunday.

Col. Owen G. Ray, 47, and his wife got into an argument earlier in the evening, according to a probable cause affidavit. Believing her husband was intoxicated, the wife retreated to her children’s bedroom to hide.

She then heard Ray say, “let’s do this,” before he went to the garage where the guns were stored, Pierce County prosecutors wrote in the affidavit. The house is in the town of DuPont, about 10 miles southwest of the base where Ray serves as the Army’s I Corps chief of staff and previously commanded a Special Forces group.

Ray, now armed, went back into the house and found his wife, who proceeded to call the police, “at which point, the defendant became enraged.”

“He pointed the gun at [the wife] and threatened to kill her,” the affidavit reads. “He proceeded to kick [her] over and over with his boots in the face and chest. The two children had woken up and were screaming, ‘don’t kill mom, don’t shoot us.’”

Ray left the room but returned after his wife had tried to barricade the entrance with a bookshelf, the affidavit stated. He smashed the barricade down and waved a gun while yelling threats.

Washington State Patrol and a mix of local police units arrived sometime after midnight. Ray eventually allowed his wife and two of the children to exit at around 12:33 a.m. His teenage daughter followed them out shortly afterward.

Police were able to contact Ray via phone at 12:49 a.m., and he threatened to take his own life as well as anyone who tried to arrest him.

“The defendant outlined his extensive training in combat,” the affidavit reads. “He told law enforcement he was a 25-year veteran and spent most of his time in the 1st group special forces. He stated that he had killed a lot of people and he had no problem killing law enforcement if they made attempts to arrest him. The defendant was calm, coherent, and articulate.”

After these initial threats, Ray would alternate between saying he had great respect for law enforcement and warning them not to arrest him, according to the affidavit. During the two-hour standoff, police said they saw Ray on the balcony holding a pistol to his head and holding a rifle inside the house.

“Active negotiations and de-escalation attempts took place until the suspect eventually surrendered and was safely taken into custody,” DuPont police said in a statement. “This occurred approximately two hours after initial communication was established between the police and the suspect.”

Yikes.

Category: Army, Breaking News, Crime, Dick Stepping

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Andy11M

In civilian confinement means all pay and allowances stopped. That’s always a fun one to deal with.
If a star was in his future, I’m sure that will fade very fast after this.

Devtun

2% of bird colonels make brigadier. It just helps the other eligibles out slightly, when a high flyer eliminates him/herself.

Slow Joe

Message for Mason:

Can you start a new thread when you get an update on a topic?

Now I can’t tell which replies and opinions were based on the initial information or on the update.

Thanks, matey.

KoB

Good luck Colonel, you’re gonna need it…and a very, very good lawer.

I was charged, arrested, and jailed on pretty much the same allegations back in ’06. All false, trumped up charges. Took 8 months, and nearly $8 grand to beat the rap. I will wait until there is a completed investigation to render an opinion. I know how they can be. My revenge was, I’ve lived very well since then and she is one more cold, lonely, broke, miserable bitch.

Graybeard

I’m with you, KoB.

Proverbs 18:17 NASB
The first to plead his case seems right,
Until another comes and examines him.

timactual

Easy to make charges like that, and in some places the law requires the accused to be treated as guilty until proven innocent. I think I’ll wait a month or so.

On the other hand, he *is* a veteran, and everybody knows how unstable and violent veterans are. (sarcasm)

MI Ranger

While yours was trumped up due to “her story was heard first” KoB, COL Ray will likely need to see a Psychiatrist before he gets released on bail. This was all on full display. While the wife may also need some counseling due to various things, the kids are now traumatized and see dad as a big scary monster. The teenager may understand what is actually happening and is likely why she emerged later (she was trying to calm him down).
Yeah, Mr. Ray will be needing to submit his retirement paperwork. The other 98% thank him for moving aside.

timactual

“I think our decades of high ops tempo has taken a toll.”

Yep. Everyone knows that the stresses of military service cause veterans to be violent.

(sarcasm)

Flakpup

Not sure if I’m reading into the sarcasm correctly, but I do agree that military service in and of itself doesn’t automatically lead to violence. But, there is no doubt in my mind, and plenty of research to back it up, that stress and aggression often do go hand-in-hand. They can even form a kind of feedback cycle, reinforcing each other.

No idea what the Col. might have been dealing with over the past 25 years or if there was some recent event that precipitated a breaking point. Hard to compare his life experiences to what others have faced and impossible to really say how others could have handled the same. Other lesser men with equivalent life experience might have cracked years ago and spiraled out. Of course, there are a few saintlier men that could take twice as much as the rest of can and still keep on smiling.

Holding out on a final opinion until everything shakes out. Curious to see if there was any history of domestic violence prior to this incident that was never reported or if this is a singular event in the life of an otherwise honorable and professional soldier.

For now, just sad to see children watching their hero father becoming a villain.

Ret_25X

If the charges are true, he gets the bone and deserves it.

If they are bogus, he is still boned. His reputation and future are flushed now, regardless the truth. And that is power of such allegations.

At this point, he’s boned either way.

Hondo

Yep. Even if he’s completely innocent of the domestic violence and communicating threats charges after this he’ll never make GO. The standoff with police alone would IMO be enough to ensure it.

UpNorth

“(C)harges of felony harassment threats/domestic violence or death threats, and first-degree assault, which is also a felony”. I would think that, perhaps, the Colonel was so over the top at something that was said or done by his S.O., that he conveyed his thoughts via an email or two, explaining what he wanted to do. Then he may, or may not, have followed up with a punch or two thrown at the S.O.?
I doubt that most prosecutors would throw a charge about “felony harassment threats/domestic violence” around without proof. Then again, it is the People’s Democratic Republic of Washington.

Anonymous

Up there, these days, that just means hurting someone’s feelings…

Anonymous

Okay, with the latest, that’s actually bad… but up there in NW snowflake-land he still done crossed the “burn at the stake” threshold a while back.

MI Ranger

“He proceeded to kick [her] over and over with his boots in the face and chest. The two children had woken up and were screaming, ‘don’t kill mom, don’t shoot us.’” So no one else saw a thing!

If she does not have bruises all over her face and chest, and broken bones this women is making up a story. Being in SOF for a few years after 9/11 I would hope he has had at least a little bit of training when it comes to hand to hand combat.

5JC

Between that and the 18F that shot up the bowling alley the other day things are looking ugly.

ninja

The charges.

You Be The Judge.

“JBLB Colonel Accused Of Beating Wife, Threatening Suicide During Police Stand-Off”

http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/military/article248134165.html

“The chief of staff assigned to I Corps at Joint Base Lewis-McChord is accused of beating his wife in front of their children and repeatedly threatening to kill himself during a stand-off with police at the family’s DuPont home.”

“Charging papers give this account of the domestic violence incident:

“On Sunday, Ray argued with his wife and she hid from him in the bedroom of their youngest children.”

“She heard him say “Let’s do this” before going into the garage where he stored guns and coming back into the home, records say.”

“Ray eventually found his wife in the children’s bedroom and was furious when she called police.”

“He pointed a gun at her and “proceeded to kick (his wife) over and over with his boots in the face and chest,” prosecutors wrote in charging papers. “The two children had woken up and were screaming, ‘Don’t kill mom, don’t shoot us.’”

“Police arrived at the family’s home about 12:15 a.m. About 15 minutes later, Ray let his wife and two youngest children go outside. His teenage daughter followed them out moments later.”

“It was just before 1 a.m. before officers got Ray on the phone and asked him to come out so he could be taken into custody.”

“Ray talked about his extensive training in combat and experience with the 1st Special Forces Group, records say.”

“He stated that he had killed a lot of people and he had no problem killing law enforcement if they made attempts to arrest him,” records say.”

“At one point during the two-hour stand-off, police say they spotted Ray holding a pistol to his head while standing on the balcony. He was also seen holding a rifle inside the home.”

“Police arrested him after Ray came outside.”

“Two handguns and a shotgun were found in the master bedroom. Multiple firearms were found in a garage safe.”

SFC D

Yeah. This is not looking good.

David

He said/she said… except for that pesky two hour standoff. Threatening to kill cops – directly to them? Think as others have noted, he can kiss any stars goodbye.

timactual

It’s probably he said/they said. Unfortunately, the children were involved.

5JC

Stars hell, his ass is going to PYITAP. Expect the PTSD card to get waved fast and furiously.

Anonymous

PTSD? Only garrison can drive officers that nuts. (How could you miss Dental again!!)

MarineDad61

2 hour stand off?
Coming soon, to a theater near you,
a very interesting Change of Command Ceremony.

Graybeard

Sounds like he snapped.

I’m sorry for his wife and children.
I’m sorry for him, as well. I hope he gets the help he evidently needs.

KoB

Trust in our very own ninja to bring us the “rest of the story!” Thanks! Nope, not looking good for The Colonel. I’m sure there is more to the whole story, and like Graybeard and others, my sympathies are with the children that were involved/a witness to.

Good to see ninja back on the job, you have been missed. Hope your other missions went the way they needed to. Was able to watch The Tide Roll thru and snack on some Gator Tail.. And “ll just leave this right here:

GO ARMY BEAT NAVY! (oh…wait…they DID!)

ninja

Playing “catchup” with other “missions” KoB….Welcome Back as well!

More to come!

😉😎

Roh-Dog

I’d say the Colonel went off the rails… then down the road, and slid into the next county.
I hope his wife and kids heal quickly from this unnecessary trauma.
The prick could have gotten help, but here we is.
(Btws, Colonel at the top of the original article needs proper nouning, or not. I don’t work here)

SFC D

Bad thing about mental illness is that you’re the last one to know you’re losing your shit. You have to know you need help to go get help. That and plain old everyday male pride/tough it out attitude keeps a lot of people from getting the help they need.

HMCS(FMF) ret

His mental health issues have probably been happening for a while… manifesting in small ways until the recent incident.

I wonder how many times in his career, the Colonel sent someone to “get help” before an incident like this?

How many senior officer and enlisted have we read about here and online that have had their careers ended because someone wouldn’t speak up and say something before a domestic violence incident… or worse? Too many…

Anonymous

Living the fantasy:

Anonymous

Well, as best he can, anyway… ass kicked by cops for domestic violence at Ft. Lewis.

Martinjmpr

I suspect a hasty retirement and some intensive mental health counseling are in the good Colonel’s future. And likely a divorce.

My guess is no jail time and any felony charges either deferred or reduced to misdemeanors on account of his years of service. You don’t get to O-6 in SF by being a shitbag and if it goes to trial (which I doubt) he’d have a battalion of character witnesses vouching for him.

I can only hope he gets the help he very obviously needs.

11B-Mailclerk

The alleged kicking about the face and chest with booted feet, referenced, would leave very photo-ugly bruising. A time lapse of the first few days is a horror show.

Every character witness would be refuted by those photos.

MI Ranger

Not if he also has bruises or scratches about the face and head!

(She said…He said)?!?
He did snap and go off, but something set him off.

Slow Joe

That’s a poor excuse.

As a professional, NOTHING should set him off. Losing control points to a series of character weaknesses and psychological disorders.

Anonymous

You forget that “perception is reality” and “credibility” replaced “when you assume you make an ASS out of yoU and ME” for his generation of 1-block candidates with “poh-tential” there.

11B-Mailclerk

Presumptive Extreme disparity of force. SF pro versus woman. Unless she is a titled MMA practitioner, no one on a jury is going to buy “peer fight”. Most judges won’t.

The rules are very much written to assume the woman is victim. Plenty of folks here argue no woman has any business in combat, because “weaker sex” or similar.

Hypothetical: If she was armed with a cleaver, trying to geld him, he was probably busted with one kick to disarm her.

Walk out covered with defensive wounds, and no mark on her, still might lose if she alleges violence on her, the rules are often that far tilted.

Ask a lawyer in that area.

Ocean12

The case will be handled by civilians. In Washington state, domestic violence cases will go to trial and an Assault 1st, domestic violence charge isn’t just going to go away. He may plea down to a lower assault but he will still get hammered.

Ex-PH2

If he was perfectly calm when the cops talked to him, then he has stuff in his head about something.

Threatening to kill himself, even implying it, in front of cops means he has a hair up his backside about something, and he definitely needs a timeout, whether he likes it or not.

It’s rather obvious that something triggered this behavior, unless he gets it out of his system, it won’t go away.

Ret_25X

This guy is going to get a nice long vacation, courtesy of Uncle Sugar with his new bestest friends.

He is absolutely boned–and he boned himself.

Tony180A

He is DONE! Lucky if he avoids Leavenworth or State prison but his chances of retiring as an 0-6 are zero. If he doesn’t get a dismissal and allowed to retire it will be interesting to see at what rank he is deemed to have served honorably. Sad situation for all parties involved.

Ret_25X

Interestingly, the Army has several options here. If he is tried by the Army at Courts Martial, he can be imprisoned and lose all pay, benefits, etc. if found guilty.

Alternatively, the Army can (and probably should) allow the State of WA to try him and then “show cause” him based on the verdict. This could allow him to retire at LTC, but he likely would receive no pay during confinement.

Also, the Army could retain him, marking his confinement as “bad time” and deal with him at age 90 when he gets out of prison.

Of course, the Army could also just retire him now and be done with him…perhaps the most spineless option but the one guaranteed to remove command influence from the proceedings. there will be those who defend him in all this and attempt to influence the outcome. Always will be.

In any event, if the story is correct, he is facing some real time in the WA state home for wayward men. A location sure to introduce him to a new way of life that will not be to his liking. After a lifetime of telling others what to do and when to do it, prison will surely be a “culture change” for him–LOL

SFC D

I had a former friend get busted for repeatedly molesting his daughter. The Army basically washed their hands of him and turned him over to the state of Arizona. Sentenced to 114 years, no parole. Sometimes its best to let the state take the lead.

Hondo

Regrettably, as a former SF Group commander he may well already have 3+ years TIG as an O6 prior to this incident. Unless there are other incidents in his past (or other wrongdoing spanning that time frame is discovered on further investigation), he may technically meet the requirements for “successful service” at his current grade due to that fact.

Dunno. Hope you’re right, but I’m not sure you are. As a commissioned officer, he can’t be “reduced for cause” even by a court-martial (options there are retain in grade or dismissal). Pretty sure the same is the case for a show-cause board – e.g., that “retain in grade” or “admin discharge” are the only two options. And grade determination boards on retirement do have to follow the laws/regs about what constitutes “successful service” to retire at a particular grade. My understanding is that it would take evidence of wrongdoing documented to have occurred within all possible 3-year periods of his service at O6 to render his service at that grade unsuccessful if he’s allowed to retire.

This is precisely why I would like to see Congress amend the UCMJ to allow courts-martial to reduce commissioned officers (and commissioned warrants) in rank as part of a court-martial sentence. IMO the “retain or dismiss” choice often results in a commissioned officer “getting off easy” at court-martial because dismissal – which results in forfeiture of all retirement and VA benefits – would “hurt their family too much”. The other option presently available is retain in grade.

ninja

One can see some information on COL Owen Gale Ray at this link:

https://www.piercejailroster.org/Inmate_Roster.html

Looks as if his Bond/Bail has been set at $1M.

“He is due back in court Jan. 11 and his jury trial is scheduled for Feb. 18…”

A picture of COL Ray in his Blues can be found here. He is highly decorated. And at the end of the day, one can possess all military awards and recognition and STILL have a sense of unhappiness or perhaps in COL Ray’s case, suffer from Mental Illness.

https://www.radio.com/connectingvets/news/special-forces-col-owen-ray-arrested-for-domestic-violence

Initial report stated he was intoxicated at the time of the incident. Wonder how intoxicated he was and if it was alcohol related.

Thank goodness he did not kill his Family or himself. He and family do need help, prayers and all.

Mental Illness IS a disease. Hopefully, he will obtain the necessary help to continue with his life. The Army is not forever. A person’s soul is forever….

Thank You, Mason, for updating the story.

Green Thumb

No winners here.

Sad.

Ret_25X

truly. this is a lose/lose/lose for all parties.

The family is torn apart, he is torn up, and the Army loses all that experience.

But–I’m betting this behavior did not just “appear” out of nowhere. This did not start that night.

The family: wife knew there was something wrong and told no one.

The COL: knew he was off his center and told no one.

His leadership: probably knew he was going off the rails and did nothing.

His peers: knew he was in some form of decline and told no one.

Just like with suicide, the signs are often seen and ignored for months or years. Everyone rationalizes it, but the fact remains that this was likely preventable in a world where people could be honest. But in the Army, at least, no senior officer or NCO can seek help without it costing them significantly unless their peers and leaders are fully supporting them. That support does not appear to be the case here.

Doctrine Man nailed it: ask for help, the price is worth the investment.

Slow Joe

This is the best assessment of how something like this could happen.

timactual

“… his jury trial is scheduled for Feb. 18…”

Seems kinda fast. Then again, seems kinda clear cut.

Hondo

Something about a Constitutional guarantee of a speedy trial, I think.

“Scheduled” is the key word in that phrase, though. I’d frankly be surprised if his trial happens as scheduled. I’d guess either the defense or prosecution (or both) will request a delay for one reason or another before then and that the judge will grant it.

5JC

Absolutely will not happen unless he is his own attorney.

Hondo

Don’t be so sure. Plea bargains can take time, and if both the prosecution and defense teams think one can be reached and it’s getting close to the scheduled trial date . . . .

5JC

The only plea bargain he will get is going to be noted in the number of decades in prison.

His lawyer is going to scream mental health from the roof tops. The diagnosis alone could take a year or two. Then they have to determine if the guy who was running an SF Group last week is sane enough to stand trial. It will be a glorious shitshow of legal wrangling for the ages.

Ret_25X

which could lead to a deal…but it is probably unlikely that the felony charges are going to be dealt away.

But, as we have seen many times, prosecutors are political and that makes for some strange decisions.

The mental illness angle may get him placed in the mental facility rather than a regular prison, but it seems far fetched now to think he can use “teh PT of the SD” to walk away from this one.

Stranger things have happened, however.

5JC

It is international profile now so it would take some nuclear grade spin to plead it down to time served and some counseling. Especially these me too days.

Hondo

I don’t expect that. But a plea-bargain that avoids most or all felony charges by pleading to lesser included misdemeanors and some substantial jail time might just work for both

SFC D

Not sure about that, Hondo. Unless he’s court-martialed for a separate offense, it’s double jeopardy.

SFC D

My understanding is that you can receive non-judicial punishment and be tried in a civilian court for the same offense (very common in DUI cases), but you cannot be tried for the same offense in both civilian and military court. A court-martial would have to be for charges not specified in civil court.

timactual

Wife and kids might have some influence. They may want to preserve some of his pay & benefits, if possible. Their future looks kind of grim, too.

timactual

“Something about a Constitutional guarantee of a speedy trial, I think.”

From what I have read, “speedy trial” varies by state, and there are lots of exceptions. In Wash. I think it is theoretically 60 days from arraignment if in custody. Practically, it can be extended by motions, witness availability, ….

” “Scheduled” is the key word ”

Yep. “There’s many a slip ‘twixt the cup and the lip”.

Thanks for the correction.

Fjardeson

Whoa, that list of charges is scary – kidnapping, even…

11B-Mailclerk

Prevent someone from leaving with threats of violence and things escalate fast.

Remember that if you ever decide to detain a “crook” for the cops.

Mustang Major

$1,000,000 bail. Hope he likes mac and cheese. He isn’t leaving jail anytime soon.

5JC

He is an O6. He should be able to cough up the 100k if he wants out bad emough. Finding a bondsman might be tough. The 1M for a cash or property bond is likely out of range.

Mike

Another downside to “Quarters not available” on the housing office fact sheet: Go ballistic off post and spend your time in civilian jail…..

Ret_25X

He would in any event. Even if the crime happened on post, it is could be that he would be sent to the county lockup to await trial.

Army posts just don’t have the facilities for long term confinements.

5JC

Charges are all civil side. Therefore the military would never hold him anyway. If he had done this on post they would likely send him to a larger detention facility. The huge problem being that he is an officer. MG Brennan is the only one who could have ordered him held and he would be crazy not to after all that.

Ret_25X

true…one wonders what contortions of thinking could be used to let him go free…but I’ve seen it done.

MI Ranger

On the plus side: There may be some firearms available for purchase in the near future in the Joint Base Lewis McCord area…since he won’t needing them for a while.