Elizabeth Murray

Free Press Staff Writer

A Burlington police officer has resigned while under investigation into allegations that he lied in an affidavit he wrote for an October drug case, the Burlington Police Department announced Wednesday afternoon.

The resignation of Officer Christopher Lopez came Monday in advance of a disciplinary hearing scheduled for Tuesday morning where he was to be informed of the department’s intent to fire him. The Chittenden County State's Attorney's Office brought the perjury suspicions to the police department's attention on Feb. 13.

The officer's own body camera caught statements that Lopez made when he thought he had turned his camera off. The footage shows Lopez attempting to turn his camera off, and he also asked another responding officer whether his body camera was off, according to a letter sent to the Burlington Police Department by Chittenden County State's Attorney Sarah George on Feb. 16. George said Wednesday that the other officer had not yet turned on his body camera upon responding to the scene.

In an affidavit he filed related to the October narcotics case, Lopez wrote that he smelled emissions from the vehicle that he knew to be fresh marijuana "based on my knowledge, training and experience." Body camera footage from the day of the arrest showed that Lopez told the other officer that he did not smell marijuana coming from a vehicle, but stated he "could if he needs to, but I don't like going that way if I can't back it up," George's letter states.

Lopez served with the Burlington Police Department since September 2014, according to the news release. He was hired from the Baltimore Police Department, where he began service in August 2012.

Attempts to locate contact information for Lopez were unsuccessful. Attempts to confirm whether he has a lawyer were also unsuccessful.

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George said her office is investigating about 30 other pending cases in which Lopez was involved. Any cases in which Lopez could not be relied on as a witness will be dismissed, she said. George estimated the majority of the cases will be affected. .

George has also provided notice to private and public defense attorneys in Chittenden County so they can consider what, if any, impact the allegations will have on any closed cases in which Lopez was the arresting officer.

Vermont State Police are investigating whether there was any criminal wrongdoing, George said. Once the investigation is complete, it will be referred to the Vermont Attorney General's Office for review since a deputy prosecutor from George's office will be a witness, she added.

The Burlington Police Department is also conducting an internal investigation into the non-criminal aspects of the incident, the agency said.

“The Burlington Police Department is committed to the highest standards of integrity,” said Chief Brandon del Pozo in his request to the state police and state’s attorney for a criminal investigation. "We have no tolerance for an act that, if proven, will erode the public’s trust in the official statements of our police."

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Mayor Miro Weinberger in a statement supported del Pozo's request for investigations into the officer's conduct.

“There is no place for dishonesty within the Burlington Police Department,” Weinberger said. “I welcome Chief del Pozo’s prompt action to root out such corrosive officer conduct."

The department conducted its own preliminary investigation the same day it was contacted by the Chittenden County State's Attorney's Office. That same evening, Lopez's shield and firearm were taken and he was placed on administrative leave, the department said.

Letter from Chittenden County State's Attorney regarding Christopher Lopez

Contact Elizabeth Murray at 651-4835 or emurray@freepressmedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LizMurraySMC.