April 29--An off-duty Dallas police officer was arrested Sunday in Mesquite after authorities say he drove along Interstate 30, fired at a car with his handgun and continued to drive on the highway with the weapon held out his window, Mesquite police said Sunday.
No one was injured in the incident that occurred about 2:40 a.m. Sunday.
Dallas police identified the officer as Rafael Mendoza, who has been on the force for a little more than three years. He faces charges of aggravated assault, driving while intoxicated and possession of marijuana.
As of 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Mendoza was in custody at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center in Dallas in lieu of $26,000 bail.
Mesquite police said a motorist called to report a person with a gun driving along Interstate 30 near Big Town Boulevard in Mesquite. He told police the man was holding it out his window.
Seconds later, Mesquite patrol officers observed and stopped a vehicle that matched the description of the vehicle with the armed man at Interstate 30 and Northwest Drive.
Mendoza was arrested after Mesquite police administered a field sobriety test, said Mesquite police Lt. Bill Hedgpeth in a news release.
A handgun and a small amount of marijuana were found in Mendoza's vehicle, Hedgpeth said.
Shortly after Mendoza was arrested, a second motorist reported to Mesquite police that someone in a vehicle matching Mendoza's had driven up behind him, fired a shot and hit the trunk of his car.
Mendoza was placed on administrative leave by the Dallas Police Department while Mesquite authorities conduct a criminal investigation and the Dallas police internal affairs division conducts an administrative inquiry.
The Dallas officer was assigned to the northeast patrol division and was hired by Dallas in December 2008.
Domingo Ramirez Jr., ; Twitter: @stcrime
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