Cop charged with domestic violence for a second time

BRIDGEPORT - A city police officer has been arrested on domestic violence charges for the second time in four months.

Steven Figueroa, 27, was charged Sunday night with second-degree stalking, second-degree breach of peace and second-degree harassment.

He was released after posting $2,500 bond.

Police Chief Armando Perez said Figueroa had been placed on administrative duty pending an investigation by the city’s Office of Internal Affairs.

“I’m extremely disappointed,” said Perez. “After his first arrest we spent a lot of time mentoring this officer but now that there has been a second arrest we are going to let the chips fall where they may.”

Police said officers were called to a home on Brooks Street Sunday night for a dispute. When officers got there they saw Figueroa, who was armed, pushing and shoving some women in the street.

Police said Figueroa’s former girlfriend, a Hamden police officer, told officers that she and some female friends had come home to find Figueroa intoxicated and waiting for her. Police said the victim told them Figueroa, who had previously been ordered by a judge to stay away from the woman, had been stalking and harassing her and had called her cell phone 67 times.

When she had threatened to call police, she told officers Figueroa had responded, “My boys are coming and they ain’t gonna do (expletive) to me,” police said.

Officers took Figueroa’s gun away and placed him in the back of a police car. They later went to his home where they seized his police property and more guns, police said.

Last November Figueroa was charged by Stratford police with third-degree criminal mischief and disorderly conduct after police said he broke the window of his former girlfriend’s car during a dispute.

Prosecutors later nolled or dropped that case after the woman said she didn’t want to pursue it.