South Phoenix lawmakers added their demands for answers, transparency and accountability about accusations that two Phoenix police officers assaulted a couple without probable cause.
Two Phoenix police officers who weren't in official uniform are alleged to have accosted a couple and forced their way into their vehicle before attacking them
with fists and a stun gun without providing a reason for the stop, according to a Tempe police report."Those reports and documents related to the case allege the use of Tasers, punching, pulling hair and threatening the victims with a firearm. These are serious allegations involving sworn officers and they raise serious questions about public safety and trust in our community," read the letter.
It was dated
Aug. 21 and signed by Democratic lawmakers Sen. Catherine Miranda, Rep. Junelle Cavero and Rep. Oscar De Los Santos of Legislative District 11.
"According to reports, the officers involved work in the South Mountain Precinct in Legislative District 11. That makes this matter particularly personal and urgent. South Phoenix has a long and complicated history with law enforcement. Trust cannot be taken for granted. It must be earned through transparency, accountability and equal treatment under the law."
The letter was addressed to City Manager Ed Zuercher, who oversees the Phoenix Police Department. Police Chief Matt Giordano promised action and accountability after the Aug. 5 incident made headlines.
The encounter between the couple and two men in what looked like a law enforcement vehicle was described in a 12-page Tempe police report that suggested the couple were victims of multiple crimes, including armed robbery, kidnapping, aggravated assault and impersonating a police officer.
The department has not identified the officers under investigation.
The lawmakers' questions included:
- Would an independent third-party organization, like the Arizona Department of Public Safety, investigate the incident?
- Did the officers involved have a history of complaints, misconduct allegations or use-of-force incidents?
- Why were the officers' body-worn cameras not activated during this traffic stop?
- Would the department conduct a broader investigation into the officers and their law-enforcement history?
They would not let the matter disappear from public view, the lawmakers said.
"An investigation cannot become an excuse for silence," the letter stated. "Our constituents deserve to know what happened, whether these officers have previously been the subject of complaints and whether there are broader concerns that need to be addressed. We will continue demanding answers until our constituents have them."
City officials, contacted Aug. 22, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mayor, community leaders also demand answers
Phoenix Police Chief Matt Giordano released a video on Aug. 19 recognizing the community's desire for answers and pledged to hold his officers fully accountable if wrongdoing were found.
Allegations made by the couple about the traffic stop were called "appalling" by Mayor Kate Gallego.
"I am appalled by these deeply shocking allegations," Gallego said in a statement to The Arizona Republic. "Our community deserves a thorough and complete criminal investigation, as well as an internal investigation into this matter, and that's exactly what we'll get. I'm grateful for Chief Giordano's quick response, and trust that if the allegations are proven true the officers in question will be held to account. This kind of behavior absolutely cannot be tolerated."
Phoenix City Councilmember Kevin Robinson, who worked at the Police Department for more than 36 years and retired as an assistant chief, said the allegations concerned him but stressed the need to fully investigate the matter before jumping to conclusions.
"I think so often people want a quick resolution to something that sounds terrible," Robinson said in a phone interview. "And it very well could be — I'm not whitewashing that in any stretch of the imagination. But what I want to make sure happens is that a thorough investigation is conducted so people can be held responsible."
Robinson described the officers' alleged actions as "outrageous" if proven to be true, but didn't believe it pointed to a systemic issue for the department as a whole.
Advocacy groups promoting police transparency have argued that proposed police reforms fell short.
"No amount of reform will solve the problem of police violence because policing is the problem," Poder In Action policy coordinator Nancy Lam said in a previous statement. "We demand a fully transparent investigation and that these officers be fired for their violence and misconduct."
Lam also proposed that the city award restitution to the victims involved "that reflects the severity of the abuse they have endured."
Lola N'sangou, Mass Liberation Arizona executive director, echoed similar sentiments while commenting on Phoenix police's controversial traffic stop.
"If officers control whether the accountability technology is even activated, and police institutions control the investigation when it isn’t, then telling communities to trust the process doesn’t make us safer," N'sangou said in a statement.
Reach the reporter Perry Vandell at perry.vandell@arizonarepublic.com or 480-341-9433. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @PerryVandell.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: South Phoenix lawmakers demand answers on violent traffic stop
