By Bill Rodgers

Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE, N.M. — A Santa Fe Police Department officer was arrested on a domestic violence charge over the weekend, just two days after the department instituted a "zero tolerance" policy toward such conduct violations.

Jon Lopez, 30, a three-year member of the department, could face losing his job while also dealing with charges of battery against a household member and interference with communications.

Lopez, who was released from the county jail Monday afternoon, has been placed on administrative leave pending an internal police department investigation — separate from the criminal investigation — according to Lt. Louis Carlos.

Santa Fe County sheriff's deputies went to a home on N.M. 14 south of Santa Fe about 6 p.m. Sunday for a domestic dispute call, according to Deputy Nicole Romero's court statement attached to the charges against Lopez.

She states that Lopez's wife said he was arguing with her Sunday afternoon and accusing her of infidelity. He grabbed her by the arm and knocked her to the ground twice, she said.

She had injuries that included scratches and bruises but declined medical help. When she told her niece, who was at the home, to call the police, Lopez took the phone and refused to leave until he was promised that the police would not be called.

Lopez was contacted by Deputy Romero at the Santa Fe Police Department. He acknowledged grabbing his wife and taking her to the ground using what he called an "arm bar," according to Romero's report. He also acknowledged putting the niece's phone in his pocket.

Police Chief Ray Rael said this incident would "absolutely" fall under his department's new zero tolerance policy, which calls for a recommendation of termination on first offense for conduct violations including lying, sexual assault, domestic abuse and DWI.

The policy was put in place, effective Friday, after talks with officials from local rape crisis and battered families shelters who said such a policy would help victims trust officers. Rael said he did not know Lopez well and to his knowledge Lopez has never had any disciplinary problems.

"He seemed like a reasonably good officer," Rael said.

Should a preponderance of evidence collected in the noncriminal internal investigation show Lopez violated the department's conduct code, Lopez would face a recommendation to the city manager that he be terminated. Such decisions can be appealed administratively, then to court.

Santa Fe Police Officers Association president Adam Gallegos said the union would have a union representative on-hand through the investigation to ensure Lopez's due process rights were being upheld.

But if Lopez is disciplined, a subcommittee within the union would start a process to decide whether to commit resources, such as an attorney, to Lopez's defense.

"Everything's weighed individually," Gallegos said.

Gallegos said he was one of Lopez's training officers and is one of his supervisors.

"I think Jon is a very good officer," Gallegos said. "And this is a very unfortunate situation which just goes to prove that police officers are only human."

Copyright 2012 Albuquerque Journal