By Lysee
Mitri
ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) – The state board that licenses
police officers has now called out Albuquerque Police Union President Stephanie
Lopez for an incident that the department suspended her for last year.
This is not the first time Officer Lopez has been
disciplined for misbehavior on the job.
Lopez been suspended at least three times over the
past three years.
While Lopez sat at a table with Mayor Richard Berry
Wednesday to sign a new contract, the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy board
was calling her name to answer to the way she handled a domestic violence call
last year.
An attorney showed up on her behalf as the LEA gave
her a letter of caution, saying Lopez went to a home for a domestic violence
call last year and stayed even after learning it involved her friend and fellow
officer, Chris Cordova.
He was accused of choking his girlfriend.
KRQE News 13 has learned Lopez was trying to talk the
victim out of pressing charges against Cordova.
It is a case APD is already familiar with.
Records show she wrote up four versions of her police
report, eventually eliminating the part where she called a commander not
involved in the investigation just to tell him about Cordova’s arrest.
Lopez’ final report claimed the woman said Cordova was
not choking her, but another officer on scene noted the woman described him
choking her and saying something about her dying.
Former Chief Ray Schultz gave Lopez a two-week
suspension.
The year before that, Lopez got a 16-hour suspension
for not reporting when she got into a car crash at 98th and Tower.
A man went to the police station later, saying Lopez
rear-ended him at a red light.
In 2011, Chief Schultz suspended Lopez for two weeks
for an incident with a local TV reporter.
Lopez took the reporter’s camera when citing her for
criminal trespassing but never tagged it into evidence and when it was
returned, it was missing some video of the confrontation.
News 13 has been trying to reach Lopez for months. She
did not meet for an interv
