Official: Officer shot will not be placed on leave

An investigator with the Texas Department of Public Safety made a visit Wednesday to Muleshoe as part of the investigation into an officer-involved shooting Friday night.

Cpl. John Gonzales of the DPS’ Lubbock office said Sgt. Steve Bartley, 35, of the Muleshoe police, who was shot twice, will not be placed on paid administrative leave, normally standard procedure for an officer who fires a weapon in the line of duty. Gonzales said any investigation into the incident would be finished before a doctor clears Bartley to return to work.

Juan Mendoza Quezada, 44, of Muleshoe, who police say was shot several times by Bartley while the officer was investigating a domestic disturbance report, remains at Covenant Medical Center in critical but stable condition, Gonzalez said.

Charges are still pending in the case, Gonzalez said.

The DPS spokesman declined further comment on the case.

According to both the Saturday release from Muleshoe Police Chief Brian Frieda and the DPS release Tuesday morning:

• Bartley, who has been an MPD officer for 20 months and has spent 13 years in law enforcement, responded to a domestic violence call at 416 E. Fifth St. about 11:30 p.m. He was shot once in the hip and once in the chest. Quezada was struck several times.

• Both were airlifted to Lubbock hospitals. Bartley, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, was released Saturday from University Medical Center.

Residents at the home have declined interview requests and residents at adjacent homes did not know details of the incident.

Frieda was not aware of the department’s last officer-involved shooting, if one existed.