Phoenix Police records reveal past discipline for fired officers

PHOENIX - New details have emerged regarding two Phoenix police officers who were fired and arrested following a violent traffic stop.

Former officers Antonio Felix and Luis Vasquez Jr. were arrested on several charges, including kidnapping and aggravated assault. Investigators say they used excessive force, failed to turn on their body cameras, and never reported the incident.

What we know:

On Sept. 2, the City of Phoenix released the officers' disciplinary records, revealing that both had been reprimanded before. The Phoenix Police Department stated it is releasing this information in the interest of transparency, acknowledging that the actions of these officers can undermine public trust. A review of their personnel records shows both officers have a history of failing to report or fully investigate incidents as required by department policy.

New personnel records released by the Phoenix Police Department for former officers Luis Vasquez Jr. and Antonio Felix expose a history of breaking department rules. Both men were fired and arrested in August, accused of using excessive force during a traffic stop and then failing to report it.

"Chief Giordano is leading that charge in an effort to be transparent, people want to know more, were there red flags about these officers," said former assistant police chief and current Councilman Kevin Robinson.

According to disciplinary records, Felix was working as an officer in training in 2018. Documents show he punched a suspect three times in the head and never told his training officer. Years later, records show he failed to complete a report on a call involving theft and threats. Just this year, he failed to file an incident report for a missing child.

Meanwhile, former officer Vasquez Jr.'s record includes an officer-involved shooting in 2025 that was later determined to be within policy. That same year, he was disciplined for failing to properly activate his body-worn camera while investigating a collision, which records show he failed to complete a crash report for. In all cases, the officers were either reprimanded or provided training.

"There are always a small number of officers, small percentage, and they're usually well known in the department, who are consistently operating outside the guidelines," said ASU School of Criminology Professor Michael Scott.

Dig deeper:

Vasquez Jr. served eight years with Phoenix police and Felix served nine, with both assigned to the South Mountain Precinct. Councilwoman Anna Hernandez, who represents the area, says she has called for a broader investigation into the precinct.

"We have seen, 12 years ago, where we had seen structures have to change there because of the same type of scenarios were happening there," Hernandez said. "Twelve years later, we're kind of in that same position."

Robinson says he understands the public's distrust following the incident, but he says the actions of two officers should not outweigh the thousands of positive interactions Phoenix police have with the community every day.

"You're only hearing about the bad things and, again, they should hear about the bad things, but I would not automatically condemn an entire organization and its storied history based on what two officers did and, again, it was egregious behavior, but you shouldn't condemn an entire profession, and entire organization based on that," Robinson said.

Crime and Public SafetyPhoenixNews