Two Phoenix officers arrested and dismissed after violent, unrecorded traffic stop
Two Phoenix police officers were terminated and taken into custody after a traffic stop on Aug. 5 where they assaulted a driver and passenger and used a Taser.
Phoenix Police Chief Matt Giordano said that officers Antonio Felix and Luis Vasquez were dismissed and arrested after an Aug. 5 traffic stop that was never logged and for which no body-camera footage exists. Detectives allege the officers broke a car window, punched the driver, threatened him with a gun, removed and handcuffed the female passenger, and shocked both with a Taser. The victims reported the incident to a responding Tempe police officer, who traced the abandoned vehicle to the driver’s mother and obtained their statements.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Vasquez’s release from custody while Felix remains detained at the Lower Buckeye Jail. Both officers, with eight and nine years of service respectively, face charges of aggravated assault and kidnapping, and a court date is set for Friday. The department’s internal audit continues as officials emphasize the breach of policy.
Why it matters
The case highlights serious police misconduct and raises concerns about accountability within law-enforcement agencies.
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