Corrales officer’s case to grand jury

Julie Rogers faces battery charge after complaint from teacher

The battery case against a Corrales police officer stemming from an alleged altercation with her son’s kindergarten teacher has been dismissed in Los Lunas Magistrate Court and will now go before a grand jury, according to a prosecutor.

Police reported that Julie Rogers, 33, aggressively shook the teacher’s hand and later bumped into her shoulder. Rogers faced one fourthdegree felony count of battery on school personnel in the Magistrate Court case, which was dismissed last week. Special prosecutor Ed Perea said the District Attorney’s Office will seek grand jury indictment in state District Court.

“That’s the standard process,” Perea said. He anticipates the grand jury hearing will take place in about a month.

Rogers’ attorney could not be reached for comment.

The Bosque Farms Elementary School kindergarten teacher told a Los Lunas schools police officer that when she reached for a handshake, Rogers squeezed her hand, tightening her grip until the teacher told her to let go, according to a criminal complaint.

The teacher said that Rogers later “purposely stepped into her and shoulder bumped” her. A witness told police that Rogers “never slowed down and shoulder bumped” the teacher, forcing her out of the way.

Rogers told the officer over the phone hours later that she didn’t know “of anything that happened,” but said during the handshake her son’s teacher “grasp(ed) her hand tightly.” Rogers said the teacher attempted to stop her as she left the building, and said she “may have hit” the teacher as she walked by, according to the complaint.

Corrales Police Chief Vic Mangiacapra has said that a felony conviction would “most like result in termination.”