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A police officer accused of threatening to kill his kids abused his 6-month-old son, causing a brain bleed, according to Wisconsin authorities and news reports. Some of the allegations against Portage Police Department officer Cameron Coronado came from the baby’s mother, who said she got up to feed the child, only to see Coronado wiping blood from the baby’s mouth, according to an Aug. 18 criminal complaint obtained by WMTV.
Coronado, 32, is accused of telling her he had forcefully shoved a pacifier down the baby’s mouth, which investigators said led to the child struggling to swallow, WMTV reported.
The baby was taken back to bed, but soon woke up “crying in pain,” according to the criminal complaint, also obtained by WISC. Coronado took the baby for a car ride, according to the complaint, and later showed hesitation taking the child to a hospital because he “knew what was going to happen.” When the baby’s mother took the child to a hospital, doctors found “something of force” had scraped off part of his skin, WISC reported. The baby was also discovered to have a brain bleed.
The child mother told authorities Coronado has a “low frustration tolerance” for his kids and has had explosive outbursts, WMTV reported from the complaint. Authorities said that in a previous incident, Coronado made threats he would kill his children if they didn’t stop crying, WKOW reported.
Court records show Coronado was charged with child abuse-intentionally causing harm and disorderly conduct.
According to a 2021 video shared on Facebook, Coronado joined the police department in 2018. At the time, he was a night shift officer and training officer.
He has been placed on administrative leave, according to WKOW. Portage Police Chief Keith Klafke told the station Coronado’s alleged actions “are not representative of the people who serve on the police department and in the city.” Portage is about a 105-mile drive northwest from Milwaukee.
A Portage, Wisconsin, police officer named Cameron Coronado, aged 32, has been accused of physically abusing his 6-month-old son by forcefully shoving a pacifier down the infant’s throat, resulting in a cut in the child’s throat, difficulty swallowing, and bleeding on the brain (subdural hematoma). The incident allegedly occurred around 3 a.m. in early August 2025 at the family’s home, when the baby’s mother woke up to feed the child and discovered blood around the infant’s mouth
According to the complaint, Coronado admitted to his wife that he had shoved the pacifier into the baby’s mouth with excessive force because the child was crying and wouldn’t stop. The mother reportedly observed Coronado wiping blood from the baby’s mouth in the kitchen and later found a visible cut at the back of the throat. The infant struggled to swallow afterward.
The child’s mother told investigators that Coronado has a “low frustration tolerance” with their children and has exhibited explosive outbursts in the past. She also alleged that he had previously threatened to kill the children during arguments.
Hospital evaluation confirmed the throat injury and revealed bleeding on the brain, consistent with non-accidental trauma. The baby was treated and released but required follow-up care.
Coronado faces felony charges of physical abuse of a child (intentionally causing bodily harm) and misdemeanor disorderly conduct (domestic abuse). He was arrested on August 19, 2025, and appeared virtually in court from Sauk County Jail on August 20, 2025.
His bond was set at $5,000, with conditions including no contact with his wife or children, surrender of firearms, and mandatory participation in a domestic abuse program.
As a Portage Police Department patrol officer, Coronado was placed on administrative leave pending the investigation.