Chula Vista police officer facing criminal charges on suspicion of threatening girlfriend during off-duty dispute

SAN DIEGO (KUSI) — A Chula Vista police officer is facing possible criminal charges following his arrest on suspicion of threatening his girlfriend during an off-duty dispute.

San Diego police took 27-year-old Leopoldo Armando Chousal into custody Wednesday evening while responding to a reported domestic-violence incident at a home in the 6400 block of Potomac Street in Paradise Hills, SDPD Lt. Kevin Mayer said.

“During the investigation, it was alleged the suspect … made criminal threats to harm his girlfriend,” Mayer said.

The lieutenant did not disclose the nature of the alleged menacing statements.

Chousal was booked on suspicion of making criminal threats. He was released from custody Thursday morning, a jail clerk said.

The Chula Vista Police Department’s leadership “takes these allegations seriously and was disappointed to learn of this incident,” department spokesman Lt. Eric Thunberg said.

“We are cooperating with SDPD’s criminal investigation, and we are conducting an internal investigation concurrently,” he said.