San Jose

Woman Says SJ Police Officer Groped Her While Responding to Call

NBC Universal, Inc.

A San Jose police officer already under investigation for indecent exposure may have a new case to face.

When Matthew Dominguez, 32, was literally walked off the job by the San Jose police chief after being arrested for indecent exposure, questions were raised about how this might impact previous police cases involving the four-year veteran officer.

A woman, who asked not to be identified, talked to NBC Bay Area Thursday after finding out Dominguez was the arresting officer in her DUI incident last December.

“He very blatantly groped my left breast,” she said. “I remember telling his partner that officer Dominguez had just groped me and that he tried to pass it off as ‘trying to help me with my seatbelt.’”

The woman’s attorney, Zachary Reitman remembers discussing the groping incident with her and noting that the body cam footage was missing.

“And this was not on camera. Officer Dominguez wrote in his report that the battery in his camera had died,” Reitman said.

“It’s not a coincidence. How calculated. How criminal. How disgusting. He knew what he was doing,” the woman said.

The woman told NBC Bay Area that she didn’t pursue it at the time because she said that she didn’t think anyone would take her word over a police officer. That changed when her attorney recognized Dominguez from stories of his arrest.

“It was mixed emotions. I was shocked and surprised but also a bit relieved to know that maybe someone else would be able to believe my story,” she said.

Reitman has now filed motions to get Dominguez’s entire personnel file and to force him to testify.

“An officer’s credibility is extremely important and if there are other incidents of any kind of misconduct, any kind of veracity issues with officer Dominguez. That’s paramount to impeaching his credibility at trial,” he said.

Legal analyst Steven Clark said it should happen to ensure the public trust.

“When you see what occurred that led to his dismissal, it is so outrageous that it’s hard to imagine that it was the first time something like that occurred,” he said.

NBC Bay Area reached out to Dominguez for comment. But a person, who answered and acknowledged it was his phone said that Dominguez “could not talk right now.”

The DUI case will be heard on June 10. Dominguez is scheduled to be in court on June 22.

Contact Us