PHOENIX — Two former Phoenix police officers were arrested and fired on Saturday after a violent, unreported traffic stop on August 5, during which they allegedly assaulted a man and a woman and used a Taser, police officials confirmed.
Officers Antonio Felix and Luis Vasquez face charges of aggravated assault and kidnapping, Phoenix Police Chief Matt Giordano announced at a news conference. The officers were not booked into custody immediately but were later arrested following the investigation.
Felix remains incarcerated at the Lower Buckeye Jail in Phoenix, while Vasquez was released on Sunday, according to Dave Evans, a spokesperson for the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. Attempts to contact their defense attorneys were unsuccessful.
The incident occurred late at night when officers stopped a vehicle driven by a man with a female passenger. According to a police statement, the officers smashed the car window, with Vasquez punching the driver and threatening to shoot him. The woman was removed from the vehicle, handcuffed, and released at the scene.
The man drove away, abandoning the car in Tempe, a neighboring city. A Tempe police officer responding to the abandoned vehicle asked dispatch if it had fled from another agency and was told it had not, according to a Tempe police report. The car’s registered owner, identified as the man’s mother, was later contacted.
Giordano stated that the officers did not report the traffic stop and failed to activate their body-worn cameras. He added that there was no indication the officers knew the victims and that no video evidence exists, though he claimed detectives established probable cause for the charges.
The officers’ actions have drawn scrutiny over police accountability and reporting protocols. The case raises questions about officer compliance with use-of-force policies and internal reporting requirements following such incidents. The Phoenix Police Department has not provided further details on the ongoing investigation or potential additional charges.