By Troy Torres
The chief of police is refusing to say whether one of his employees, Corina Paulino, who allegedly assaulted police officer Rachelle Benavente Bockman following an alleged drunken stupor, has been placed on administrative leave.
Ms. Paulino is a police dispatcher. She, Bockman, and civilian Guam Police Department employee Rhea Sanchez were arrested on charges of driving while impaired, according to police spokesman Sgt. Paul Tapao.
According to attorney general's spokeswoman Carlina Charfauros, the three women were arrested July 1 following the June 24 notification to police chief Stephen Ignacio that all three were involved in a series of alleged crimes.
No other official information has been provided by either the GPD or the OAG, except that the cases were forwarded to the OAG for prosecution, and that an internal affairs investigation began. Kandit has asked when that investigation started; GPD still has not answered that question.
Ms. Bockman's husband, Jesse Bockman, took to social media to relay details not provided by the police or the OAG.
According to Mr. Bockman, the three women were drinking alcohol at Min's lounge in Tumon in the early morning hours of June 23. According to Mr. Bockman, his wife, whom he admitted had a couple of alcoholic drinks before driving that night, tried to stop her co-workers from driving because they were completely inebriated and a danger to the public behind the wheel.
He said she and he followed the women - Rhea Sanchez and Corina Paulino; that Paulino drove so recklessly on the roads she nearly hit a pedestrian; and that Paulino choked and assaulted Ms. Bockman when the couple cornered her at a residential driveway.
Mr. Bockman said that within minutes of the incident, they reported his version of events to police officers. He said no sobriety tests were administered to any of the women, despite the police officers's knowledge they all were drinking and driving. He named at least two police officers in his version of events, which he posted on Kandit's Facebook page. According to Mr. Bockman, he overheard an "Officer Wright" offer to his wife to falsify his police report in order for Ms. Bockman to avoid being held accountable.
Kandit provided this information, including Mr. Bockman's full statement detailing the events that night to Sgt. Tapao. Mr. Tapao said he forwarded the information to the appropriate investigators, citing the statement as new information to their case.
On Monday, July 19, and following Mr. Tapao's confirmation that Bockman's statement was given to investigators, Kandit asked the police chief for confirmation on pictures matching the likeness of Ms. Paulino, and to confirm that she had been placed on administrative leave because of the new allegations. No response.
On Thursday, July 22, Kandit sent the following email to Mr. Ignacio:
In the absence of your answer to my previous email regarding Corina Paulino, I make this request for public information via FOIA:
Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request documents (to include phone messages, emails, memos, letters, social media messages, etc) executed since June 23, 2021 that notify Corina Paulino, Rachelle Bockman, Rhea Sanchez, Officer Wright, and Officer Laxamana of, or otherwise discuss the above named employees's placement on administrative leave.
I also request a copy of Ms. Paulino, Ms. Sanchez, Mr. Wright, and Mr. Laxamana's government or police identification badge, whichever contains photos of them.
