Fired Phoenix officers admit to violent traffic stop, court documents show
New details revealed following arrest of 2 Phoenix officers
Court documents reveal new details about the violent traffic stop in South Phoenix involving former Phoenix police officers Luis Vasquez, Jr. and Antonio Felix. FOX 10's Andrew Christiansen has more on what led to their firings and arrests.
PHOENIX - An incident on Aug. 5 led to the firing and arrest of two Phoenix police officers after a traffic stop escalated into alleged violence.
New Details:
In court documents, the officers claimed they pulled over an impaired driver in a high-crime area, noting that the vehicle's owner did not match the vehicle. However, Phoenix Police Chief Matthew Giordano, who fired and arrested them, says the officers went too far.
In a Tempe police report, the couple had been pulled over near 19th Avenue and Broadway Road when the cops allegedly tried forcing open their doors and smashing the driver's side window.
Video showed former officers Luis Vasquez, Jr., 31, and Antonio Felix, 31, in court. Felix is accused of tasing a couple and putting the woman in an arm bar, while Vasquez is accused of punching the man in the head, nose, face, and groin area, according to records. Vasquez is also accused of pointing his gun at them and threatening to shoot, later admitting to a lot of his actions, but also claiming the couple ignored commands and the driver refused to exit the vehicle.
Antonio Felix and Luis Vasquez, Jr.
Experts Chime In:
An expert witness who offers testimony on law enforcement impacts reflected on the situation.
"It doesn't take much to ruin that trust, just like any relationship. You look at any relationship anybody has, it takes one act to erode it completely, and in this case that's what happened," said Josh Logan of Guardian Training and Consulting.
The backstory:
The former officers conducted a traffic stop in South Phoenix at around 11:30 p.m. on Aug. 5. The department said force was used and "not reported as required by policy, including the failure to activate their body-worn cameras." During a criminal investigation, the two were placed on administrative leave, before being fired on Aug. 22.
Dig deeper:
Felix and Vasquez are facing charges of aggravated assault, aggravated robbery, kidnapping, felony assault involving a bound or otherwise physically restrained individual, threatening and intimidating, criminal damage, hindering prosecution, and tampering with evidence.
2 Phoenix officers arrested following violent traffic stop
Two Phoenix police officers were arrested following an unrecorded traffic stop in South Phoenix where excessive force was used against a couple.
Big picture view:
Vasquez admits to not reporting the situation because of his previous policy violations. The Phoenix Police Department says both Vasquez and Felix have past violations, but nothing of this nature.
Vasquez was with the department for eight years, while Felix was with them for nine years. Both officers were assigned to patrol at the South Mountain Precinct.
What's next:
The police chief said they're still investigating a motive, and are looking through information including radio traffic and their automatic vehicle locator.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from court documents, the Phoenix police chief, court video paperwork, Josh Logan of Guardian Training and Consulting, the Phoenix Police Department, and previous FOX 10 reports.