ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Department of Public Safety is accusing the city’s new sheriff of lying about a rape investigation.

At the center of the controversy is the sheriff department’s detainment of the jail commissioner for denying deputies access to an inmate.

St. Louis Sheriff Alfred Montgomery posted an Instagram video Tuesday from the sheriff’s account.

“This is not a reality show. This is the sheriff’s office actually working,” Montgomery said.

The sheriff’s other comments have a rebuke from Public Safety and claims that he’s a liar.

In the video, Sheriff Montgomery was discussing how his department handcuffed interim Jail Commissioner Tammy Ross on Friday.

The sheriff said his deputies wanted to interview an inmate who was reportedly raped by a former deputy and that the sheriff’s department had obtained preapproval for jail access.

“The Director of Public Safety, Charles Coyle, I believe, gave authorization to interview the victim,” Montgomery said in the video.

Coyle saw the Instagram video and replied with a statement, saying, “Sheriff Montgomery…lied, repeatedly. At no time and under no circumstance did I give a directive to allow Sheriff Montgomery or his staff to interview a detainee.”

The sheriff also claimed police signed off on his department’s access.

“St. Louis City police detectives then instructed Ross to allow the sheriff’s office to interview the victim,” Montgomery said.

Police spokesman Mitch McCoy contradicted that assertion during Wednesday’s crime briefing.

“There was an order given by this department not to interview the victim of a crime that we were investigating,” McCoy said. He added that the sheriff’s department’s internal affairs investigation could still move forward with the interview police already did.

McCoy confirmed another interview could damage an ongoing case.

FOX 2 News called Sheriff Montgomery for a response. After failing to get an answer by phone, we went to the sheriff’s office in person.

A senior official came down to say Sheriff Montgomery was unavailable but said the sheriff stands by his assertion that the department was invited inside the jail for the interview.

The case has been referred to the FBI to investigate, ensuring the fallout will continue to unfold.