Phoenix police have arrested two of their own in connection with a violent traffic stop earlier in August.
Police identified the suspects as Officers Antonio Felix and Luis Vasquez Jr., both of whom were assigned to the South Mountain Precinct.
“I’m here to share with you that former officers Felix and Vasquez have been arrested, and I fired them both,” Chief Matt Giordano announced early Saturday evening to a hastily assembled room of reporters.
The officers have been implicated in an Aug. 5 traffic stop in which a man and a woman say they were contacted and assaulted using physical force and a Taser — all without provocation — by two men who presented as police officers in a marked vehicle.
"There was significantly more information uncovered demonstrating the egregious criminal conduct committed by these officers," Giordano told reporters. "Their actions severely undermine trust in law enforcement and violate the standards we expect from those who serve.
"Many people want to understand how this could happen. There is no excuse for the conduct that these two officers engaged in."
Giordano went on to provide this list of criminal charges his department is pursuing against both Felix and Vasquez: aggravated assault, aggravated robbery, kidnapping, felony assault involving bound or otherwise physically restrained individual, threatening and intimidating, criminal damage, hindering prosecution and tampering with evidence.
The ordeal was first reported to a Tempe police officer who was following up on a vehicle abandoned in city limits. It wasn't immediately clear when the Tempe Police Department first flagged Phoenix about the allegations.
Neither officer turned on their body-worn cameras, and neither documented the traffic stop as required in department policy. But Giordano said their police vehicle had been tracked to 19th Avenue and Broadway Road, where the attack allegedly occurred.
The Phoenix PD has arrested former officers Antonio Felix and Luis Vasquez Jr. on numerous charges. Police Chief Giordano announced the arrest and their firing from the department today. pic.twitter.com/IblePpoiiK
— Phoenix Police (@PhoenixPolice) August 23, 2026
Felix and Vasquez were put on paid administrative leave on Aug. 13. Giordano said Phoenix police detectives questioned the officers on Saturday in the presence of their attorneys.
At the press conference, the chief said Felix and Vasquez were in the process of being transported to jail for booking.
Giordano said his commitment to repairing public trust wasn't limited to the criminal investigation.
"This will not stop here tonight," he said. "The Professional Standards Bureau will move forward to identify if any other individuals are involved and determine whether there are broader, systemic concerns."
This is a developing story. Please check back with kjzz.org for updates.
→ Read the Tempe police report [PDF]
