Former CCSO deputy arrested following domestic dispute

COLUMBIA COUNTY, Ga. (WJBF) – A Columbia County Sheriff’s Office deputy has been terminated after being arrested and charged following a domestic dispute.

According to the incident report, Gilbert Lopez received his wife’s belongings from her job, which she was previously terminated from, and when he arrived home, he was upset after finding a name and phone number of a male in a rolodex that Lopez claims his wife had a relationship with in the past.

The incident report states that during the verbal altercation, Lopez told his wife to get her stuff out of his vehicle and told her to take the male’s card out of the rolodex, and then, Lopez admitted that he picked up the rolodex and threw it striking his wife in the chest.

Lopez states that he did not intentionally throw it at her, but he threw it because he was upset and the rolodex was caught in his hand when he threw it accidentally striking his wife in the chest. According to the investigation report, Lopez states that he following his wife upstairs and tried to open the door by pushing it and pressing the door with his foot, and when he pressed the door, his foot created a hole on the bottom right side.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Lopez in the investigation report says that when Lopez arrived at the residence, he told her to get her stuff out of his vehicle, and when she went to the vehicle, Lopez was arguing with her about a male’s name and phone number in her rolodex.

Mrs. Lopez states that Lopez grabbed the rolodex and threw it at her striking the left side area of her cheek and neck, and then, she states that she went inside the residence and locked herself in the bedroom because she was afraid her husband. She adds that Lopez then tried to make entry into the bedroom by kicking the door.

The reporting officer states in the incident report that there was an observation of a slight red mark at the bottom of her cheek.

The incident report also states that both of their children were home; one child states that he was in his room asleep and only heard the verbal altercation while the other child says he was in his bedroom and came out when Lopez was trying to get into the bedroom and saw him kick the door.

Authorities state that Lopez was transported to the Columbia County Detention Center and charged with the county ordinance violation of disorderly conduct in lieu of a state charge of simple battery.

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