BELMONT, Calif. (KGO) — The I-Staff has discovered that the Belmont police officer arrested for rape final week had an arrest for home violence a number of years in the past, earlier than he turned an officer.
That is elevating questions on whether or not he ought to have been employed on the Belmont Police Division within the first place.
We’ve new data on his earlier arrest and his immigration standing. The I-Staff confirmed Felipe Gomes just isn’t a U.S. citizen however has a piece allow, so he’s allowed to function a police officer on this state underneath a latest legislation signed by Governor Gavin Newsom.
Simply 4 months in the past, Belmont Police Chief Ken Stenquist offered his new recruits, together with 35-year-old Gomes.
“He was within the Brazilian Air Drive and a part of their Air Drive Police,” Chief Stenquist mentioned. “He was a full-time police soldier and left that place when he moved to the USA. He enjoys training jiu jitsu and attending church when he is not working.”
Final week, Redwood Metropolis police arrested Gomes on the Belmont police headquarters on penal code 261 (a) (1).
Earlier than he employed Gomes, the I-Staff has discovered that Chief Stenquist obtained cellphone calls from the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Workplace and East Palo Alto Police warning him that each businesses had rejected Gomes due to his home violence arrest in 2017.
Former San Francisco police commander tells the I-Staff, “When a division head calls you and says one thing’s flawed, take a better look or do not rent somebody, you must take a better look.”
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Court docket data present that Gomes and his spouse had been on trip from their dwelling in Brazil at a Ramada Inn in Kissimmee, Florida.
The charging affidavit says that they had been married a 12 months when Gomes noticed texts on his spouse’s cellular phone from an ex-boyfriend, and that he struck her repeatedly within the face and abdomen. An officer wrote that he “noticed a big bruise that coated most of (his spouse’s) left cheek and scratches to her proper cheek.”
The data say Gomes accused her of hitting and scratching him first, so the state lawyer charged each of them with battery/home violence earlier than dropping the costs a month later.
Belmont Chief Stenquist defended hiring Gomes, emailing I-Staff’s Dan Noyes, “Previous legislation enforcement contact that doesn’t lead to expenses usually are not disqualifying in of itself underneath insurance policies or relevant legislation.”
“In these particular sufferer home violence circumstances, they’re usually, the costs are dropped,” former SFPD Commander and head of recruitment Wealthy Corriea mentioned. “They’re dropped as a result of the victims have a change of coronary heart all number– any variety of causes.”
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Corriea says the incident ought to be disqualifying, despite the fact that the case was dropped.
“You don’t need somebody who in a household setting, you understand, violence is a spot they will escalate to,” he mentioned. “You need simply the other. You need pure de-escalators.”
Legislation enforcement sources additionally say Gomes just isn’t a U.S. citizen. SB 960 sponsored by former State Senator Nancy Skinner permits immigrants to be officers if they’ve a inexperienced card, visa or everlasting residency. Gomes is right here on a piece allow.
“You should be an individual who’s legally licensed to work,” Skinner advised a listening to in March 2022. “So, you’ve gotten that authorized paperwork after which in California, if this invoice passes, you’ll have the ability to be a sworn officer.”
Governor Gavin Newsom signed the invoice in September 2022.
Corriea says newly-arrived immigrants have tons to study our system of justice and civil rights.
“You higher just remember to have– are hiring people who get the numerous nuances of the function of a police officer,” he mentioned. “There isn’t any one else, so far as I do know, in our complete society that carries a gun and has the authority to shoot you underneath sure circumstances.”
A number of different states have comparable legal guidelines to California, however in lots of circumstances, native police departments nonetheless require an officer to be a U.S. citizen. Gomes has been fired.
The I-Staff reached him right here within the Bay Space and his spouse in Brazil. Neither wished to remark for this story. Redwood Metropolis Police are alleged to be sending the Gomes case to the San Mateo District Lawyer’s Workplace by Friday.
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