Two Former Phoenix Cops Fired and Charged With Felonies After Allegedly Beating, Tasing Couple in Unreported Traffic Stop

PHOENIX, Ariz. — Two former Phoenix police officers have been fired and charged with multiple felonies after allegedly assaulting a couple during an unreported traffic stop in south Phoenix, authorities said.

Antonio Felix and Luis Vasquez Jr., both 31, face felony charges including aggravated assault, aggravated robbery, kidnapping, threatening and intimidating, criminal damage, hindering prosecution, and tampering with evidence, according to court documents obtained by the Arizona Republic.

The alleged assault took place around 11:30 p.m. on August 5 near 19th Avenue and Broadway Road. According to a Tempe police report obtained by local news outlets, the couple said they were pulled over by an SUV using lights and a siren. They alleged the officers punched them, restrained them, and used a Taser on them while they were still inside the vehicle.

One officer allegedly pulled a handgun, counted to three, and threatened to shoot the man if he did not exit the car. The woman was allegedly handcuffed and pushed face-down onto the ground.

The man later escaped and drove away, but his vehicle broke down in Tempe, where he reported the alleged assault to police. The woman said she was released after he fled and was warned, "We know where you live now."

Court documents show that during questioning, the former officers told investigators they believed the driver was intoxicated. One officer later acknowledged he did not report the incident because he feared the fallout from multiple policy violations.

Phoenix Police Chief Matt Giordano addressed the matter at a news conference, stating that detectives determined the former officers physically assaulted both victims and used a Taser during the stop. The officers allegedly never reported the stop to dispatch or activated their body-worn cameras.

Giordano said investigators found no video evidence of the incident but used the department's automatic vehicle locator technology to place the officers' marked police Tahoe at the scene. Investigators have found no indication the officers knew the victims beforehand.

"Their actions severely undermine trust in law enforcement and violate the standards we expect from those who serve," Giordano said. "When we become aware of misconduct, we take action and we hold officers accountable."

This incident raises questions about accountability measures within the Phoenix Police Department, particularly regarding the decision by one officer to suppress evidence of a potentially violent encounter rather than report it through proper channels.