Phoenix police investigating claim of excessive force during west Phoenix traffic stop

Phoenix police are investigating officers who an attorney says dragged a man out of his car by his hair and punched him repeatedly during an Aug. 21 traffic stop.

The department’s Professional Standards Bureau has opened an administrative investigation into the stop near 27th and Campbell avenues, the department confirmed.

Sean Woods, a partner at Mills and Woods Law, told KTAR News 92.3 FM that his client, De’Yante Smith, pulled over immediately, rolled down his windows and put his hands up.

Why De’Yante Smith says Phoenix police used excessive force

“As soon as he unlocked the door, the officer started to open the door, reached in, grabbed him by his hair and yanked him out of the vehicle, and at that point started punching him in his side, and one of the officers eventually actually punched him in the side of his head,” Woods said.

Woods said officers never told Smith why he was stopped.

“There was no request for license or registration as far as I know,” he said. “Instead, it was just an immediate guns drawn, I’m going to pull you out of the car.”

Police report gives different account of stop

According to police reports obtained by ABC15, officers stopped Smith for an expired registration.

Smith resisted commands, and an officer struck him about seven times in the torso and once in the head during a roughly 69-second struggle, a Phoenix police officer wrote.

Police reported finding a handgun, a rifle and suspected ecstasy in the car.

“The officers wrote in the incident report that my client had used what they described as MMA moves. The body cam is going to show otherwise,” Woods said. “My client was not resisting.”

Woods said the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office declined to pursue the weapons charges. Smith was treated at a hospital and spent about 36 hours in jail.

Neither Smith nor the firm has received body camera footage.

“The typical response right now from the city of Phoenix is that it’s going to take 18 months,” Woods said.

Phoenix police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Kellen Shover contributed to this report.

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