A Bay Area police officer is facing a misdemeanor charge after he allegedly masturbated at a home where he was responding to a domestic disturbance situation.
According to a press release from the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, Matthew Dominguez, 32, was arrested last week and charged with a misdemeanor indecent exposure.
The charge stems from an April 21 incident during which Dominguez and two other officers were responding to a restraining order call about a mentally ill family member who was being violent.
After arriving at the home, Dominguez dispatched his colleagues to locate the subject, at which point he allegedly “touched himself” in front of two women, a mother and her 23-year-old daughter.
According to authorities, the mother saw “Officer Dominguez unzip his pants, place his hand inside his zipper and began rubbing his crotch.”
The 23-year-old’s father is also said to have witnessed “Dominguez facing out of the kitchen with his erect penis in his left hand and his right hand on the counter” after he was alerted to the cop’s actions by his daughter.
“The charged behavior is beyond disturbing,” District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in a statement. “Law enforcement officers respond to our homes to help crime victims, not terrorize, traumatize, and create new victims.”
Dominguez has since been placed on administrative leave. If found guilty, Dominguez is facing one year behind bars and the possibility of being put on the sexual offender list for 10 years.
Video was released showing San Jose Police Chief Anthony Mata walking Dominguez out of the department’s internal affairs building after the charges were filed. “Last week, I said that when an officer violated the public’s trust or engages in criminal conduct, I would personally walk that officer out the door,” Mata said. “Today, I did it.”
Dominguez’s arraignment is scheduled for June 22.
