Officer Rafael Mendoza arrested in Mesquite; was also arrested in 2011

Dallas Police have placed Officer Rafael Mendoza on administrative leave after his arrest in Mesquite early Sunday.

A Dallas police officer is on administrative leave after being arrested in Mesquite. He's also accused of firing a shot into another car.

According to a statement from Bill Hedgpeth of the Mesquite Police Department, off-duty Dallas Officer Rafael Mendoza was taken into custody early Sunday Morning.

"At about 2:40am Sunday morning, Mesquite Police responded to a “person with a gun” call in the area of IH-30 and Big Town. A caller said that a person traveling eastbound on IH-30 was holding a gun out of the driver’s side window."
 

The vehicle was located near I-30 and Northwest Highway. 

"The driver appeared to be intoxicated and after field sobriety tests were conducted, he was arrested," the statement said." A handgun was recovered at the scene and a small amount of marijuana was also located in the vehicle."

Officer Mendoza was taken into custody.  He is charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Driving While Intoxicated and Possession of Marijuana under two ounces.

A second caller told police that the driver of vehicle matching Mendoza's fired a bullet into the trunk of his car.

The Dallas Police Department also released a statement.

"Officer Mendoza is assigned to the Northeast Patrol Division and has been employed by the Dallas Police Department since December of 2008.  In addition to the criminal charges, an administrative investigation will be conducted by the Department’s Internal Affairs Division."

The City of Mesquite will investigate the incident.

In August of 2011, NBC 5 reported Mendoza's arrest for domestic assault and unlawful restraint.