An off-duty officer with the Gaston County Police Department, Rebecca Gomez, has been charged in connection with a domestic violence incident. According to WBTV, the 26-year-old officer was arrested earlier today and faces charges of felony assault by strangulation and misdemeanor domestic violence.
Arrested by the Gastonia Police Department, which is also handling the criminal investigation, Gomez has served the Gaston County Police Department since June 2021. The incident, still shrouded in some details not yet public, has prompted an internal examination – the Gaston County Police's Professional Standards Unit is conducting its investigation, according to a release mentioned by WCCB Charlotte.
Gaston County officials are committing to transparency and accountability, as reflected in their statement. "We recognize that our officers’ conduct, on or off duty, is subject to scrutiny," said Chief of Police Stephen M. Zill, whose comment was reported by QC News. "We are committed to upholding high standards of behavior, and when officers’ actions fall short of those standards, they will be held accountable."
Gomez was booked into the Gaston County Sheriff's Office without bond, as jail records indicate. Reporting for these developments, information sourced from the aforementioned outlets, will continue as more facts are gathered and as the investigation by the Gaston County Police Department unfolds.
