2 Phoenix officers arrested following investigation into violent traffic stop

The two Phoenix Police officers involved in a violent traffic stop on Aug. 5 have been arrested and fired, according to the Phoenix Police Department.

The officers were identified as Luis Vasquez Jr., who had eight years of experience, and Antonio Felix, who had nine years of experience, from the South Mountain Precinct.

The officers have been charged with aggravated assault, aggravated robbery, kidnapping, felony assault involving a bound or otherwise physically restrained individual, threatening and intimidating, criminal damage, hindering prosecution and tampering with evidence, according to Phoenix Police Chief Matt Giordano.

Giordano noted both officers arrested had “prior policy violations” but would not go into further details.

“Their actions severely undermine trust in law enforcement and violate the standards we expect from those who serve,” Giordano told reporters Saturday evening. “Many people want to understand how this could happen. There is no excuse for the conduct that these two officers engaged in. My commitment is not limited to the criminal investigation.

“This will not stop here tonight. The Professional Standards Bureau will move forward to identify if any other individuals are involved and determine whether there are broader systemic concerns.”

Giordano added that the Organizational Integrity Bureau has begun an audit into the South Mountain Precinct.

“No community members should suffer what happened here,” Giordano added. “We recognize this erodes community trust, and I am committed to rebuilding that trust starting today.”

What happened to lead to the Phoenix officers’ arrests?

Two officers were accused of using force during an Aug. 5 traffic stop without reporting the incident or activating their body-worn cameras, which they’re required to do by department policy.

The stop allegedly took place around 11:30 p.m. near 19th Avenue and Broadway Road in south Phoenix.

According to a Tempe Police report, a man and woman said people they believed were officers smashed their Dodge Charger’s window, used Tasers on them, beat the man for around five or six minutes and threatened to shoot the man before he hopped back into the vehicle and drove away.

Tempe Police became involved after an officer responded to a disabled vehicle near Baseline Road and Priest Drive. The officer found the unoccupied Dodge Charger overheating, with a damaged window and the smell of burning rubber.

The officer tracked down and spoke with the man and his girlfriend. She said the alleged attackers beat him, then handcuffed her and placed her in the back of a police car. She said the officers released her after her boyfriend drove away, and she walked for about an hour to get home.

Because dispatch initially found no record of any law enforcement agency — including Phoenix police — stopping the vehicle that night, the Tempe officer suspected the victims may have encountered people impersonating officers.

The Tempe report listed possible offenses including armed robbery, kidnapping, aggravated assault, preventing the use of a telephone during an emergency, criminal damage and impersonating a police officer.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Serena O’Sullivan contributed to this report.

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