GREENFIELD — A Greenfield police officer has been arrested on felony charges related to assault.
An arrest warrant was issued on June 10 for Christian Tapia, a four-year veteran of the Greenfield Police Department. He surrendered himself at the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office to face the charges, which stem from an alleged incident occurring on May 1 at a house in Gonzales.
According to reports, Tapia was off duty at about 9 p.m. when he allegedly went to a party uninvited and assaulted a male victim, who he did not know. No other details have been released.
Greenfield Acting Chief Guillermo Mixer said Tapia was placed on paid administrative leave pending an investigation by the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.
“The allegations against Officer Tapia are deeply unsettling,” Mixer said in a statement posted online. “However, we trust and have faith in the judicial system to conduct a thorough investigation, resulting in the appropriate outcome. In the meantime, we will continue to cooperate with the District Attorney’s Office as they proceed with their investigation. Additionally, we have launched our own internal administrative investigation into the matter, consistent with our department’s policies and procedures.”
In November 2020, Tapia was arrested for domestic violence in Watsonville. Those charges were later dropped.
Tapia is scheduled for arraignment on Aug. 11 at 1:30 p.m.
