[CA] Officer Mendez not in jail after shooting multiple times at his girlfriend and her passengers

...[Long Beach police officer Orlando] Mendez, 26, of Anaheim is now facing multiple violent felony counts, including [aggravated] assault with a deadly weapon, firing a handgun from his vehicle, corporal injury on a spouse, and ...brandishing a handgun and domestic violence assault... Mendez identified himself as a police officer, was stripped of his weapon and taken into custody without further incident... "You look at this and you want to say 'What were you thinking?"' [Anaheim Police Department Sgt. Tim] Schmidt said...

He popped right back out of jail. Yes he was fired, but what good does that do his victim now that he's also blown his job?

OFF-DUTY COP SHOOTS AT, MISSES EX-GIRLFRIEND
The domestic dispute occurred about 3 a.m. Monday near Harbor Boulevard and Romneya Drive.
The Orange County Register
By Denisse Salazar desalazar@ocregister.com
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
[Excerpts] Police arrested an off-duty Long Beach police officer after he got into an argument with an ex-girlfriend and fired multiple shots at her. The shots missed her, police said. The domestic dispute occurred about 3 a.m.... Officers found Orlando Mendez, 26, of Anaheim waiting for them at the scene. He identified himself as a Long Beach police officer... Mendez, who had been a police officer for six months and was on probation, told officers he had been involved in a shooting. The initial investigation revealed Mendez and his ex-girlfriend were driving separate vehicles when they encountered each other near Harbor and Romneya and a dispute broke out between them. Mendez then fired several shots into her vehicle, but she was not hit... Other female occupants in her vehicle were also uninjured. Mendez and his girlfriend had not been together that night... Mendez was arrested on suspicion of aggravated assault, brandishing a firearm, discharging a firearm from a vehicle and corporal injury on a spouse... Mendez posted [$50,000] bail this morning. Mendez was served with a probation dismissal at 10 p.m. Monday, said Karen Owens, a spokeswoman for the Long Beach Police Department. “This type of behavior is completely unacceptable for anyone, especially for someone in law enforcement,” Owens said. “He had not passed his probation and was able to be dismissed immediately.” Anyone who was in the area at the time of the shooting was asked to call the Anaheim Police Department at 714-765-1944... [Full article here]

LBPD ROOKIE ARRESTED, FIRED AFTER ANAHEIM SHOOTING
Contra Costa Times, CA
By Tracy Manzer
10/21/2008
[Excerpts] A Long Beach Police Department rookie arrested early Monday after he allegedly tried to shoot an ex-girlfriend was immediately fired from his job, authorities said Tuesday. No one was hit by the gunfire, which erupted at a busy intersection in Anaheim at about 3:30 a.m. when the suspect was off-duty, said Anaheim Police Department Sgt. Tim Schmidt. But former LBPD Officer Orlando Mendez, 26, of Anaheim is now facing multiple violent felony counts, including assault with a deadly weapon, firing a handgun from his vehicle, brandishing a handgun and domestic violence assault... Officers learned Mendez opened fire on his former girlfriend, who was in another car and was not armed... Mendez identified himself as a police officer, was stripped of his weapon and taken into custody without further incident, he said. "You look at this and you want to say 'What were you thinking?"' Schmidt said. Mendez had just graduated from the Long Beach Police Academy in April and had barely six months on the job before Monday's incident, said Karen Owens, an LBPD spokeswoman. "Police officers are not above the law and we take this very seriously," Owens said Tuesday, adding that Mendez was fired the same day the LBPD was notified of his arrest. "Clearly his behavior is not consistent with the standards we hold for our officers and this type of behavior is completely unacceptable." Owens said the the LBPD was notified of Mendez's arrest early Monday and immediately launched an administrative review. "Based on his actions and on his status as a probationary employee, HIS POSITION WAS TERMINATED ... THAT EVENING," OWENS SAID. "HE WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DECISION AT ABOUT 10 P.M. LAST NIGHT ... AND SERVED WITH PAPERS WHILE HE WAS STILL IN CUSTODY," she added... Because Mendez has been released from the Orange County Jail system, his arraignment has not yet been scheduled and will likely not occur for a few weeks, the sergeant said... [Full article here]