Arrested officer faced similar charge

BOSQUE FARMS, N.M. (KRQE) - The Bosque Farms police officer arrested Tuesday for driving under the influence of prescription drugs has been in that kind of trouble before, News 13 found.

Paul Gomez was arrested in Los Lunas on Tuesday while off duty. Witnesses said Gomez weaved across lanes while driving before rear-ending another car, and then tried to leave.

An officer said he failed several field sobriety tests. He was arrested and bonded out.

On Sept. 22, 2008, Los Lunas police responded to a call about a drunk driver behind the wheel of a Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department patrol car.

When the officer pulled it over he found the driver was Gomez, then a BCSO deputy.

The officer said Gomez "reached into his pocket" and handed him "nine pills...later identified as" the painkiller Percocet.

Gomez' wife told police her husband "had a problem with pills," according to a police report.

Gomez has reportedly been in severe pain since another officer mistakenly shot him and shattered the bones in one of his legs several years ago.

Los Lunas police didn't arrest Gomez or conduct any tests to see whether he was really under the influence.

Instead a BCSO supervisor picked Gomez up and placed him on paid leave.

The case was sent to the Gallup District Attorney because of the possibility of a conflict of interest with Valencia county prosecutors, where the case would normally be prosecuted.

But the Gallup DA refused to prosecute because of insufficient evidence.

Sheriff Darren White said Gomez resigned a short time later.

A few months after he resigned from BCSO, Gomez began working as an officer at the Bosque Farms police department. The police chief said he got full medical and legal clearance to hire him.

The Bosque Farms police chief said he tried to get clearance from his attorneys to talk with News 13, but didn't hear back from them.

He said Gomez is currently on paid leave.

Gomez pleaded guilty to DWI in 1992. The Los Lunas police chief could not immediately say whether Gomez worked for that department at the time.