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WILKES-BARRE — A city police sergeant has been placed on administrative leave with pay amid domestic violence charges filed against him.
Wilkes-Barre Township police charged Albert R. Rodriguez, 50, with simple assault, disorderly conduct and harassment. Rodriguez was arraigned by District Judge Michael Dotzel in Wilkes-Barre Township and released without bail.
Rodriguez is accused of slapping his wife causing an injury to her lip early Thursday morning, according to the criminal complaint.
His wife told township police she sent Rodriguez a text message saying his dinner was on the stove. She claimed Rodriguez came home at about 9 p.m. Wednesday, yelled at her, and left their residence.
She said Rodriguez sent “nasty” test messages to her including one message that stated he hoped she would die and he wished he never met her, the complaint says.
Police said in the complaint Rodriguez arrived home at 1:45 a.m. Thursday and found his wife in an apartment attached to their residence. Rodriguez began dumping food onto the floor and told his wife to walk down the stairs in front of him.
She was afraid to walk in front of Rodriguez fearing he would push her down the stairs. She ran to a bathroom and called 911, according to the complaint.
In a prepared statement, Wilkes-Barre Mayor Thomas Leighton said Rodriguez has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending an internal investigation.
Leighton and Police Chief Robert Hughes said they were disappointed to learn about the misconduct of a city police officer.
“As law enforcement officers, we are held to a higher standard to uphold the laws we are tasked with enforcing,” Hughes stated. “Our off-duty conduct outside of the police department is equally as important as the time we spend working to serve the public in order to promote a positive image of law enforcement.”
Leighton stated: “I am extremely upset to learn that one of our city police officers was involved in an incident of domestic violence. Our police officers are among the most highly trained law enforcement professionals in Luzerne County. Officer Rodriguez’s behavior is not a reflection of the Wilkes-Barre City Police Department as a whole. We will not tolerate or allow such incidents to occur without disciplinary consequences.”