An investigation into two Phoenix police officers suspected of failing to mention their use of forceon two people in their police report and failing to activate their body cameras during a traffic stop appears to have been sparked by a neighboring agency.
Tempe police were called to investigate a disabled vehicle on Aug. 5 when officers encountered two people who claimed to have been assaulted by unknown suspects posing as police officers, the agency said. The incident was considered an "agency assist" for Phoenix police as the assault occurred near 19th Avenue and Broadway Road in Phoenix, according to Tempe police.
But the suspects in question might not have been merely posing as police officers.
Since then, two Phoenix officers have been placed
on administrative leave as the department's Special Operations Detail conducted a criminal investigation into the officers' actions, according to Phoenix police spokesperson Cmdr. Mercedes Fortune.
The department's Professional Standards Bureau would begin an administrative investigation as to what department policies the officers may have violated once the criminal investigation was complete, Fortune said.
What we know about the traffic stop
The investigation centered on a traffic stop about 11:30 p.m. on Aug. 5 when both officers used some type of force. Fortune didn't elaborate on the type or severity of force the officers used, nor did she name them.
"Although details remain limited at this early stage, we recognize the seriousness of any allegation involving potential criminal behavior by our personnel," Fortune said in an Aug. 17 statement. "Both officers were immediately placed on administrative leave pending further investigation."
It's unclear when the officers were placed on leave. The Aug. 17 police statement said that "last week" the department became aware of "accusations from community members alleging criminal conduct by two officers."
(This is a developing story. Return to azcentral.com for updates.)
Reach the reporter Perry Vandell at perry.vandell@arizonarepublic.com or 480-341-9433. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @PerryVandell.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Use-of-force probe of Phoenix officers may have started with Tempe police
