A Boston cop busted in Florida for allegedly choking his wife in a booze-fueled Fourth of July argument has been placed on administrative leave and is facing domestic violence charges.
Antonio Rotger, 54, was sitting in the back of a car driven by his wife, with his 21-year-old stepdaughter in the front passenger seat, when he reached one hand around her neck and with his other hand tried to pull the keys out of the ignition as they entered an Orlando-area resort at about 4:30 p.m., according to an Orange County Sheriff’s Office report.
In a statement given to authorities three hours after the alleged attack, Rotger’s wife of six months said she had to bite her husband’s arm to get him to release the chokehold. After she put the car in park, her daughter grabbed the keys and alerted security at the resort, the report said.
His wife told authorities she would not press charges or testify in court. But her daughter said she would testify.
Rotger reeked of alcohol and had glassy eyes and slurred speech at the time of his arrest, according to the police report.
Rotger alleged that his wife had been drinking prior to the argument and denied choking her but said he may have shoved her in the head, the report states.
He is scheduled to be arraigned on a domestic violence charge Aug. 6 in Ocoee, just outside Orlando.
Rotger did not return a message, and attempts to reach his lawyer were unsuccessful. Police union officials could not be reached yesterday.
Orange County cops contacted Boston Police after Rotger’s arrest and he was immediately placed on paid administrative leave, said spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll.
“He will remain on administrative leave pending the outcome of a Boston police internal affairs investigation,” she said.
She said Rotger has a clean disciplinary record, although he has been the subject of internal affairs investigations before. Driscoll would not say for what.
In January, a review found that Boston police did not fire any of the 11 officers disciplined in the past two years for punching their spouses, striking their children or other violent incidents.
Since then, three more officers have been arrested on domestic violence-related charges and placed on administrative leave, Driscoll said.
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