Phoenix Police Chief Matt Giordano still couldn't offer a motive behind a violent and bizarre traffic stop that has led to two officers being stripped of their badges and booked into jail on numerous felony charges.
“I still have questions,” he said, adding that further audits and investigations were underway.
Giordano announced Aug. 22 that former Officers Luis Vasquez Jr. and Antonio Felix had been arrested and fired after a criminal investigation into their actions found probable cause.
“Their actions severely undermine trust in law enforcement and violate the standards we expect from those who serve,” Giordano said.
Phoenix police had been investigating the incident as a criminal matter and placed the two officers on administrative leave on suspicion
of failing to document their use of force or activate their body-worn cameras during the stop. The officers had not previously been publicly identified. Based on their actions, Tempe police initially suspected the officers were men impersonating police officers.
Giordano said investigators found no indication that Vasquez or Felix knew the man and woman before the stop. As for a potential reason behind the stop, Giordano had no answer.
“This is an ongoing investigation. That’s why our Internal Affairs Bureau will continue to work on this and try to determine that.”
Giordano's news conference came less than a week after a department spokesperson announced two officers had been placed on leave. The volatility of the allegations, and the obvious concerns about trust, drove the speed of the investigation. Giordano said he did not consider outsourcing it because it was a higher priority for Phoenix police to get it done than it would be for any other agency.
He said when the allegations first came in, they were difficult to believe until an investigation confirmed them.
Many unanswered questions remained. Were any other officers aware? Had this happened before? Would the matter have come to light had not the victim's car overheated on a Tempe street?
Giordano pledged that inquiries would continue.
Former officers face numerous felony charges
Vasquez and Felix are accused of stopping a couple near 19th Avenue and Broadway Road with red-and-blue flashing lights and a brief siren about 11:30 p.m. Aug. 5.
Both officers were on duty when the incident occurred, Giordano confirmed, and they were driving an official vehicle that night.
The couple later reported that two men had assaulted them with their fists and a stun gun without giving a reason for the stop, according to a Tempe police report. The driver also told police that one of the men drew a handgun and threatened to shoot him if he did not get out of the vehicle.
The driver eventually fled in the car, while his girlfriend remained behind and was later released, according to the Tempe police report.
Neither former Phoenix officer, both of whom were assigned to the department’s South Mountain precinct, reported the incident nor activated their body-worn cameras, Giordano said.
Vasquez and Felix gave voluntary statements to investigators before their arrests on Aug. 22, Giordano said. He did not elaborate on what they shared.
The two former officers face charges of aggravated assault, aggravated robbery, kidnapping, felony assault, threatening and intimidating, hindering prosecution and tampering with evidence in connection with the violent traffic stop.
Felix had been with the department nine years and Vasquez eight years, according to Cmdr. Mercedes Fortune.
Vasquez and Felix were being held at a city facility and were expected to be transferred to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office as of Aug. 22, according to Giordano. It was not immediately clear when their initial appearance in court would be held or what bond amount a judge or commissioner would set.
Internal investigation to expand into entire precinct
Giordano said the investigation was not limited to Vasquez and Felix’s actions, but to the South Mountain precinct as a whole.
“The Professional Standards Bureau will move forward to identify if any other individuals are involved and determine whether there are broader systemic concerns,” he said.
The chief added that no other personnel had been placed on leave in connection with the incident.
Vasquez and Felix both had been previously disciplined for policy violations but nowhere near the extent to what they currently faced, Giordano said.
The Arizona Republic has requested copies of their personnel files but has yet to receive them.
Couple involved were reluctant to report it
The couple initially did not report the encounter because they feared retaliation from police.
Tempe officers interviewed them and referred the case to Phoenix police, noting the incident appeared to involve men posing as police officers. Phoenix police would later discover the men under accusation were, in fact, sworn officers.
Giordano thanked the Tempe Police Department for its assistance.
He said the man and woman involved were cooperating with the investigation.
"As you can imagine, they were very hesitant to deal with us at the very beginning," Giordano said. "Our detectives are incredibly professional, empathetic, and caring and reached out to them multiple times to build up that level of trust."
Giordano acknowledged the erosion of trust in the department from the incident and how that trust must be won back.
"We've taken a swift, decisive action, and now we're sharing with the community. And we'll continue to share as we move along," he said.
"We've worked so hard over the last several years to build trust, and to me it seems like we're taking steps backwards. We need to continue to move forward to provide a better level of service to the community."
"I’m committed to rebuilding the trust, starting today," he said.
Republic reporters Rey Covarrubias Jr. and Jose R. Gonzalez contributed to this article.
Reach the reporter Perry Vandell at perry.vandell@arizonarepublic.com or 480-341-9433. Follow him on X @PerryVandell.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What was motive for violent Phoenix traffic stop? Many questions remain
