Police chief: Clovis officer won’t be charged

A Clovis police officer accused of using excessive force is back on duty, Chief Steve Sanders confirmed Tuesday.

Sanders said Brent Aguilar was cleared to return to duty after an investigation revealed he is not going to be criminally charged in connection with an Aug. 3 traffic stop.

Sanders did not recall the exact date he received that information.

Aguilar was accused of slamming Jorge Corona of Clovis onto the pavement during the recorded traffic stop, breaking Corona’s cheekbone.

Sanders would not comment on whether Aguilar was disciplined by the department or the city, citing personnel matters.

In October, the matter was sent to the Eleventh Judicial District in Farmington to determine if criminal charges would be filed, officials said.

The FBI was also looking into the incident, city officials said.

Calls placed to the Farmington DA’s office were not immediately returned on Tuesday.

“The independent special prosecutor reviewed the entire case file, to include the unedited videos, and has cleared Officer Brent Aguilar of any criminal wrongdoing or battery against offender Jorge Corona,” Aguilar’s attorney Matt Chandler said in an emailed statement. “Due to the fact that Department of Justice has not yet released their findings, and to protect the integrity of their investigation, we have no further comment at this time.”