2 Phoenix police officers fired, arrested after violent, unreported traffic stop, police chief says

Key Points:

• Two Phoenix police officers, Antonio Felix and Luis Vasquez, were fired and arrested on charges including aggravated assault and kidnapping after an unreported traffic stop where they assaulted a man and woman and used a Taser on them.
• The officers did not activate their body cameras or report the August 5 incident, but investigators gathered probable cause through other evidence, including vehicle location data.
• During the stop, Vasquez allegedly punched the male driver and threatened to shoot him, while the female passenger was handcuffed and both victims were shocked with a Taser; the man escaped by driving away and abandoning the car in Tempe.
• The Tempe police initially suspected the victims were targeted by impersonators, but further investigation linked the incident to the Phoenix officers, who had prior minor policy violations but no history of comparable misconduct.
• The Phoenix Law Enforcement Association condemned the officers' actions as a serious breach of public trust, and the department's investigation and audit into the case remain ongoing.