Two Phoenix police officers were arrested and fired after a violent, unreported traffic stop in which they assaulted a man and woman and used a Taser, police chief Matt Giordano confirmed. The officers, Antonio Felix and Luis Vasquez, faced charges including aggravated assault and kidnapping, with a $100,000 secured bond set for each.
The incident occurred on August 5 in south Phoenix when Officers Antonio Felix and Luis Vasquez, driving an unmarked police Tahoe, stopped a Dodge Charger. According to court documents and police statements, the officers did not activate body-worn cameras and did not report the stop, leading to a confrontation where the man and woman were physically assaulted, tased, and threatened. The victims later reported the encounter to Tempe police, whose investigation connected the events to Phoenix officers.
Details of the Unreported Traffic Stop
Arizona police officers arrested and fired after violent, unreported
The traffic stop began just after 11:30 p.m. on August 5, with Felix and Vasquez following the Charger and using inconsistent siren and light activations, according to court paperwork. When the vehicle stopped near 15th Avenue and Broadway Road, the patrol vehicle struck the Charger’s bumper, causing damage matching a Phoenix police Tahoe’s push bars. Vasquez and Felix then approached the vehicle, with Vasquez allegedly breaking the driver’s window and Felix threatening the passenger. The police chief confirmed detectives found evidence, including the automatic vehicle locator system (AVL) that placed the officers at the scene.
The court documents detail that Vasquez punched the driver multiple times, while Felix used a Taser on the woman, with forensic data showing six safety activations and 29 electrical discharges. The driver managed to flee, abandoning the car in Tempe, while the woman was released. A Tempe officer later connected with the victims, learning they had been tased and assaulted. The officer noted the incident so far outside the bounds of our policies, as described by Police Chief Giordano.
According to a Tempe police report, a police officer in neighboring Tempe who responded to the abandoned car asked over dispatch whether it had fled from any neighboring police agencies and was told it had not. The Tempe officer called the car’s registered owner, the mother of the male driver, and confirmed the vehicle’s details. The report also noted that the officer observed the car’s damage and reported the incident to Phoenix authorities.
Charges, Court Appearance, and Officer Accounts
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Felix and Vasquez were arrested on charges including aggravated assault, kidnapping, and tampering with evidence. At their initial court appearance, a judge set a $100,000 secured bond for each, with Vasquez released and Felix held at the Lower Buckeye Jail. Court records reveal conflicting accounts: Vasquez admitted to believing he was stopping a drunk driver, while Felix claimed the situation escalated quickly. However, neither officer provided corroboration for their stories, and both had previously violated department policy, though Giordano called this incident nothing of this nature.
Vasquez admitted to not activating his body camera or filing a report out of fear of policy violations, while Felix failed to explain why he did not call for backup or notify a supervisor. The Phoenix Police Department’s investigation remains ongoing, with the Professional Standards Bureau examining potential systemic issues. Giordano acknowledged the incident eroded community trust, stating, No community members should suffer what happened here. We recognize this erodes community trust, and I am committed to rebuilding that trust starting today.
The officers, who had served eight and nine years with the department, are now under investigation for possible broader misconduct. The incident has reignited debates about police accountability and transparency. As the case progresses, the community awaits further clarity on how the department plans to address the breach of trust and prevent similar incidents.
The Phoenix Police Department announced the arrests of Officers Luis Vasquez Jr. and Antonio Felix on numerous charges. Police Chief Giordano announced the arrest and their firing from the department. According to court documents, the two officers stopped a vehicle on August 5 at around 11:30 p.m. in the area of 19th Avenue and Broadway Road and proceeded to use force on a man and woman. The traffic stop was not reported, and there was no body-worn camera activation, according to the Phoenix Police Department.
Two Arizona police officers arrested and fired after violent
According to the Phoenix Police Department, the officers were driving an unmarked police Tahoe when they followed the Dodge Charger. The officers made intermittent overhead light and siren activations,
which investigators described as inconsistent with standard police traffic stop practices,
the paperwork states. When the Charger stopped near 15th Avenue and Broadway Road, the patrol vehicle struck the rear bumper of the car, the documents state. Detectives said they later found damage on the Charger’s bumper matching the push bars on a Phoenix police Tahoe.
Vasquez and Felix then approached the vehicle — Vasquez on the driver’s side, Felix on the passenger’s side — and allegedly threatened to break a window if the two occupants didn’t get out, according to court records. When the driver rolled his window down only slightly, Vasquez allegedly grabbed and bent it until it broke, then reached in and unlocked the door. The driver and passenger were then subjected to physical force, including the use of a Taser, according to the investigation.
Both officers gave voluntary statements in the presence of their attorney. The investigation also showed that the officers did not report the stop and did not activate their body-worn cameras, leading to a lack of video evidence. However, detectives established probable cause based on witness statements and physical evidence.
The charges against Felix and Vasquez include aggravated assault, aggravated robbery, kidnapping, felony assault involving a bound and otherwise physically restrained individual, threatening and intimidating, criminal damage, hindering prosecution, and tampering with evidence. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office emphasized the officers’ potential danger to the community and victims, citing their $100,000 bond. The officers’ release and continued incarceration remain under review as the legal process unfolds.
