Officer Bert Lopez, named New Mexico’s State Police 2009 Officer of the Year, was fired after a security camera caught him having sex with a woman on the hood of a car.
Lopez and the unidentified woman were captured on a motion-triggered security camera positioned at the front gate of a remote canyon property, the Santa Fe county-owned La Bajada Ranch.
Two photos showing a uniformed officer engaged in a sex act were forwarded to Santa Fe Sheriff Robert Garcia, who identified the officer as a New Mexico state policeman. He forwarded the images to State Police Chief Robert Shilling.
An internal investigation revealed that Lopez, an eight-year veteran, was the man in the photos. He was put on paid administrative leave for three weeks before being fired.
Investigators determined that the sex act, which occurred in late July or early August, was not in exchange for anything related to his position as a law officer.
Spokesman Sgt. Tim Johnson said, “It is an embarrassing situation for the department, but we have to remember the rights of the employee afford him due process that we must follow so we won’t be commenting further.”
Lopez can appeal the firing to a special commission within the New Mexico state police department and then state District Court.
In addition to being named a 2009 State Police Officer of the Year, Lopez was also awarded a “Challenge Coin” in July 2011, an honor given to officers who go above and beyond the call of duty.
Check out a tongue in cheek CNN report on video below:
Photos: Screen Grabs