Chicago Cop Facing Dismissal After Abusing Teen Girlfriend

A Chicago police officer who once dreamed of fighting in the UFC is now facing firing after a watchdog ruled he abused his teenage girlfriend. Officer Alberto Rodriguez, 37, could be dismissed following a report released this week by the Windy City's Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA). The investigation found that Rodriguez met the girl in July 2018 when her brother invited him to her eighteenth birthday party. They knew each other because they trained at the same gym.

By the next spring, their relationship had turned sexual and then abusive. It finally ended only after she was rescued from his home in August 2019 while he held her against her will. The report shows evidence that Rodriguez gave the girl alcohol even though she was under age. He also raped her on numerous occasions. During one incident, he told her: 'You're going to get used to it. It hurts now but you're going to get used to it.'

Claims that he threatened to influence an investigation into her brother if she refused sex were not upheld by investigators. Rodriguez calls himself 'The Enforcer' in the octagon as a nod to his police work. Tapology lists his professional record at five wins and three losses. The girl gave a statement in 2019 where she said they met at her birthday party that summer. She noted that some encounters were consensual, but others were not.

She told investigators he sexually assaulted her without a condom before one of his fights. She tried to turn him down for fear of pregnancy, yet he replied: 'That's not a reason to not have sex' before raping her again. While at a restaurant in August 2019 before a trip to Mexico, he expressed worry about men approaching her on vacation. When she returned and refused his advances at home, he pushed her against a wall. He took her car keys and sexually assaulted her while keeping her arms restrained behind her back.

She told him repeatedly that he was hurting her, but the assaults continued. After returning to Chicago weeks later, he kept her car and raped her again. This time he added: 'That's what happens when you leave.' The two went for dinner upon her return where he bought her cocktails despite knowing she was underage. He then drove them to his home and raped her once more.

A terrified girl called her mother while crying but left out key details. She feared her brother would try to fight Rodriquez, whom she said carried a gun. Her mother agreed to come pick her up. An enraged Rodriguez allegedly took the phone and shoved it in her face until her nose ring popped right out. The report found this happened. He then refused to let her leave the apartment. When officers arrived at the scene, he would not open the door for them. She eventually escaped with help from the police. She went straight to a hospital after such an ordeal. There she told a nurse that he raped her. Photos in the file show multiple bruises on her legs, arms, and wrists following that night. After leaving the hospital, she blocked him on every social media platform and cut off all contact.

Rodriguez later contested these claims in his own statement. He said their sexual interactions were consensual. On the last night they spent together, he recalled her making phone calls before sleep. Later he woke up to find police officers inside his home. Investigators grilled him about the girl's age. Rodriguez claimed he did not recall ever knowing her age and denied all allegations. The board upheld most of the charges except for two points. They relied on body-worn camera footage from officers at his home, images of her injuries, and other statements. Experts also found the girl to be a credible witness who backed up her evidence. The report added that there was no proof she lied about what happened. It noted she suffered serious mental trauma as a result.

COPA concluded their investigation by calling his behavior egregious. They recommended he be fired from the department immediately. Their statement explained they reviewed his history of compliments and discipline alongside the sustained allegations. They stated the charges against Officer Rodriguez are egregious in nature. He violated department policy by sexually assaulting and physically abusing her on more than one occasion. He broke rules by buying alcohol for someone under twenty-one while intoxicated himself off duty. He was also found with a firearm, driven a motor vehicle while drunk, and failed to open his door for responding officers. His actions caused physical and emotional harm that discredit the entire department. Furthermore, he took no accountability for any of his actions. Sexual assault and physical abuse cannot be tolerated by the organization. Tolerating such conduct severely undermines public trust in the department and its accountability system. Thus COPA recommends Officer Rodriguez be separated from the Department right away. The Daily Mail could not reach Rodriguez for comment. The Chicago Police Department was approached for comment but no reply came back immediately.