Kauai Mayor Bernard Carvalho acknowledged today that the Garden Island’s police chief and two assistant chiefs were placed on leave this week in response to an unspecified "employee-generated complaint" to his office and to the Kauai Police Commission.

"The county will not reveal any information about the content of the complaint, nor will we confirm or deny any information presented by others about the matter while the investigation is ongoing," Carvalho said, reading from a statement. This "is not the first time an employee has been placed on leave pending the outcome of an investigation, and it should not be construed to be disciplinary in nature," Carvalho said. "Reputations are at stake, and we must refrain from making premature judgments."

Following his statement, Carvalho declined to answer questions, including whether Kauai Police Chief Darryl Perry and Assistant Chiefs Roy Asher and Ale Quibilan were on paid or unpaid leave. The assistant chiefs were placed on leave on Tuesday, followed by Perry on Wednesday. 

Carvalho cited the county charter in defending his authority to place Perry on leave.