A San Antonio Park Police officer is facing a family‑violence charge after being arrested off duty on Tuesday, a case that has already triggered an internal review and landed him on administrative duty.
The officer, identified as Rolando Lopez Jr., is an eight‑year veteran of the park police. He was arrested on a charge of assault causing bodily injury to a family member and taken into custody while off duty. The arrest was recorded in Bexar County magistrate logs, which serve as the official record for people processed through the county’s central magistrate system.
According to News 4 San Antonio, Lopez was arrested by the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office and then placed on administrative duty as the case moves forward. The station’s report, written by Amanda Moreno, notes that he was taken into custody while off duty.
Bexar County Central Magistrate records list a booking for “LOPEZ, ROLANDO GERARD, JR” with booking number B202617184, confirming that he was processed at the magistrate office.
Department response and recent cases
The Park Police have placed Lopez on administrative duty while they conduct an internal review, a standard step when an officer is accused of a crime, particularly one involving family violence.
This arrest is not happening in a vacuum. Earlier this spring, another San Antonio Park Police officer was arrested on a family‑violence allegation involving strangulation, as reported by the San Antonio Express-News, which has raised continuing questions about officers’ off‑duty conduct.
What the law says
Under Texas Penal Code §22.01, assault that causes bodily injury to a family or household member is typically charged as a Class A misdemeanor. The statute also allows the charge to be elevated to a felony in certain situations, including cases involving choking or when the accused has prior family‑violence convictions.
The potential punishment range for a Class A misdemeanor is outlined in §12.21 on punishments. A booking entry, however, does not determine guilt. Prosecutors must decide whether to file formal charges, and any case would then proceed through the Bexar County courts, where dockets and magistrate records will reflect upcoming hearings and filings as they occur.
