The Valencia County Fire Chief is on paid leave while he faces charges for pulling over a driver.
Steven Gonzales is charged with impersonating an officer and false imprisonment. Police say he pulled over a driver earlier this month on I-25 in Los Lunas for speeding and weaving.
He then called dispatch requesting an officer.
According to a criminal compliant, Gonzales told police he “didn’t act out of line. Honestly this guy was being a jerk,” and that he was “justified for doing what he did” because it was “in the best interest of the public.”
On Wednesday, the police chief said he doesn’t know what Gonzales was thinking.
“Traffic stops are dangerous, not only for police officers but for the motorists and on the interstate it’s especially dangerous because of the speeds, and so our officers are trained in how to make traffic stops,” he said.
Gonzales was recently disciplined for racy pictures with an exotic dancer taken while he was in uniform on a training conference trip.