Dallas Police Officer Rafael Mendoza Must Really Like Getting Arrested

Dallas Police Officer Rafael Mendoza

Dallas, Texas

For Dallas police officer Rafael Mendoza, there must be something appealing about the inside of a jail cell. After all, the officer has now been arrested for the second time in nine months.

In July, Mendoza was arrested on family violence charges. According to police reports, Mendoza was in an altercation with a female over an ex-girlfriend. The report said he then shoved the woman to the ground and put "flex cuffs" on her while telling her, "You are going to the pen for 10-15 years." Mendoza left the woman in the parking lot for about an hour before removing the plastic handcuffs, according to police documents.

This time around, the 34-year-old police officer faces charges of driving while intoxicated and aggravated assault. Mendoza reportedly opened fire on traffic along Interstate 30 in Mesquite early Sunday morning.

Mesquite police said drivers spotted Mendoza holding a gun out of his car window while he drove eastbound on the highway near Big Town Boulevard around 2:40 a.m. Sunday.

Police said Mendoza fired at least once, hitting the trunk of a passing car.

A statement by Mesquite police said Mendoza was drunk, and that officers also found marijuana in his car.

Rafael Mendoza was hired by the Dallas Police Department in 2008.

At the time of the 2011 incident, Mendoza was placed on administrative leave, but it's unclear what happened to the internal investigation or the criminal charges. Dallas police would not clarify on Sunday, although it confirmed that he was currently an officer with the department when he was again arrested in Mesquite.

Mendoza remains at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center in Dallas on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, driving while intoxicated, and possession of marijuana under two ounces.