An Allentown police officer, who lives in Lehighton, has been charged with punching his girlfriend in the face.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by police officer Corey Frey of the Mahoning Township Police Department:

At 10:18 p.m. Feb. 15, a woman called police and said that her boyfriend, Bejtullah Maliq Mehmeti Jr., 28, punched her in the face, and said that she had bruising to the face and her tooth was chipped.

Frey requested Lehighton Police Department to respond to the location with him.

A woman answered the door and said the victim was upstairs because she was afraid of Mehmeti. Frey spoke with Mehmeti, who said that the victim had been drinking and tried to leave the residence.

Mehmeti said he grabbed the victim’s bag to take it away from her, but she would not let it go. He said they both pulled on the bag, and that the woman pulled the bag from him.

Mehmeti told police that when she pulled the bag, she struck herself in the face, and she chipped a tooth.

Frey said the woman had bruising around her right eye, as well as swelling at her mouth.

She told Frey she and Mehmeti had an argument and she was trying to leave the residence.

The victim said that while trying to leave, Mehmeti grabbed her by the hair and tried to pull her from her vehicle.

The victim said that she would not get out of the vehicle, and that is when Mehmeti struck her in the face twice, once in the eye and the other in the mouth, which caused her tooth to chip.

The victim said she did not hit herself in the face, as Mehmeti said.

Frey said he could arrest Mehmeti, but the victim said that she did not want to ruin Mehmeti’s life as he is a police officer in Allentown.

Instead she requested he leave for the night. When Frey told Mehmeti that the victim was requesting he leave for the night, Mehmeti became agitated and said he would sleep in another room if the victim did not feel comfortable.

The victim decided to pursue charges and he was arrested without incident.

Mehmeti is free in lieu of $5,000 unsecured bail, and is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing at 2:15 p.m. March 13 before District Judge Casimir T. Kosciolek of Lansford.