Bellaire police chief placed on paid administrative leave, city says investigation underway

Bellaire Police Chief Lopez has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an internal employment investigation, city officials confirmed Wednesday.

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In a statement to KPRC 2’s Gage Goulding, the City of Bellaire said the administrative leave is unrelated to community safety and that police operations continue as normal.

Chief Lopez was placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation into an employment matter. This matter does not relate to public safety, and there is no impact on community safety or police services. We intend to bring this matter to a close as quickly as possible. This is a standard step during internal reviews and does not imply any wrongdoing. The City of Bellaire is committed to a fair and thorough process.

No further details about the investigation have been released.