Meth Found in California Police Officer's Uniform

An 11-year veteran of the Bakersfield Police Department was arrested Friday night after methamphetamine. was found in the pocket of his uniform pants, police said Monday.

Bakersfield Police Chief Greg Williamson called the arrest of officer Ofelio Lopez, a 36-year-old patrol officer, a disappointing but isolated incident.

"It's disappointing to us," Williamson said. "It's disappointing to me as the chief of the agency."

BPD Lt. Brian Clayton said police began investigating Lopez last week after receiving information from a citizen "that one of our officers was involved in the use of illegal narcotics," specifically methamphetamine.

"I believe it was on Wednesday that we identified that the target was Ofelio Lopez," Williamson said.

The department set up a sting operation.

Investigators received a court order on Thursday releasing meth, which was scheduled to be destroyed, in their property room for the investigation, police said.

"We put that methamphetamine in some bindles in a purse," Clayton said.

The purse was placed in a remote city location Friday morning, Williamson said. Dispatch contacted Lopez, who was working the day shift, via radio and dispatched him to the location as a found property call, police said.

Lopez took the purse and continued about his normal patrol duties, but did not check the bag and the drugs into evidence, Williamson said. Officers are instructed to return to the department as soon as possible and book items, especially firearms and narcotics, into evidence, Clayton said.

"(Lopez) went home without booking the property, which was concerning to us," Williamson said.

Lopez was scheduled to work overtime at a DUI checkpoint at 7 p.m. and returned to work Friday evening, according to Clayton. However, Lopez did not book the drugs into evidence when he returned to work and the watch commander called him to the department, Williamson said.

Lopez's home and police car were searched. Police found the purse still in the trunk, and brass knuckles at his home, Williamson said.

Officers interviewed Lopez and searched him, discovering meth in his pocket, BPD reported. Clayton said there was less than a gram of meth in Lopez's pocket, and the purse still contained a few grams of the drug. Some of the meth was missing from the bindle in Lopez's pocket, according to Clayton.

"(Officers) noticed that (Lopez) was acting a little strange and determined that he was under the influence of narcotics," Williamson said.

Lopez refused to take a chemical test, Clayton said, and a California Highway Patrol drug recognition expert was called to examine him.

The expert determined that, in his opinion, Lopez was under the influence of a stimulant, Clayton said.

Lopez was arrested at 11:45 p.m. Friday on suspicion of "transportation of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance while armed with a firearm, under the influence of a controlled substance while armed, and possession of a dangerous weapon (brass knuckles)," according to a department news release.

He was taken to the Central Receiving Facility downtown, where he changed out of his uniform and was booked, Clayton said.

Lopez posted bail Saturday and is on paid administrative leave, according to Clayton. Williamson said police will likely send the case to the District Attorney's Office by the end of the week.

An internal affairs investigation is also ongoing, according to the news release.

Efforts to reach Lopez on Monday were unsuccessful. His Bakersfield home appeared to be empty Monday afternoon except for three dogs in the front yard.

Lopez would likely be fired if he is convicted of the crimes of which he is accused, Clayton said.

"That would be up to the chief and the powers that be, but if he was found guilty of a felony he would not be able to act as a police officer," Clayton said.

Williamson said the arrest may give the public reason to doubt police, but he wants to assure residents that the arrest is not indicative of the whole department and the people who work there. Williamson said news of Lopez's arrest was not made public until Monday because he and the department's main spokeswoman were out of the office and busy with personal matters.

The chief said the Police Department does not randomly test officers for drugs, but can order an officer to take a drug test if it's suspected the officer is under the influence. If an officer refuses to take a drug test, the department can take action against him or her, including termination, for insubordination, Clayton said.

In 2007, Lopez was involved in a car crash while on duty. According to Californian archives, Lopez's patrol car was hit by a pickup as he was crossing the intersection of Hughes and White lanes. The pickup's driver and passenger, and Lopez, received minor injuries.

In 2005, Lopez and another officer fatally shot a man who reportedly threatened them with knives, according to Californian archives. The Bakersfield Police Department's shooting review board ruled that Lopez and the other officer acted within guidelines when they shot the man.

Copyright 2011 - The Bakersfield Californian

McClatchy-Tribune News Service