2 Cops ARRESTED For Doing THIS!

Two Phoenix police officers were arrested and fired after a late-night traffic stop turned violent and went unreported.

Story Snapshot

Police Chief Matt Giordano said detectives confirmed assaults on a man and a woman during the stop.
The department said the officers failed to report the stop and did not activate body cameras.
The stop happened around 11:30 p.m. on August 5 near 19th Avenue and Broadway.
Tempe Police flagged the incident after finding no record of the stop, prompting Phoenix’s probe.

Chief says force was used, officers arrested and fired

Phoenix Police Chief Matt Giordano announced the arrests and firings of former officers Antonio Felix and Luis Vasquez Jr. He said detectives confirmed the officers assaulted a man and a woman during an August 5 traffic stop. He also said a Taser was used on the victims. Giordano called the conduct a breach of duty and said the department moved quickly to act. He stated plainly: they were arrested, and he fired them both.

The location and timing were specific. The stop occurred near 19th Avenue and Broadway around 11:30 p.m. on August 5. Multiple local outlets reported the same core facts: violent conduct during the stop, use of a Taser, arrests, and terminations. The names of both officers were released. The department linked them directly to the stop and to the force used. Coverage across Phoenix outlets aligned on these points after the chief’s briefing.

No report filed and no body camera video

The department said the officers never reported the stop and never turned on their body cameras. That failure cut off the most direct proof of what happened. It also violates clear, basic rules that every officer knows. When police skip reporting and skip recording, it invites doubt, slows justice, and weakens trust. Research shows that body-worn cameras make it easier to resolve misconduct cases by reducing “not sustained” outcomes and increasing sustained findings.

Policy studies also show a pattern across departments. Failure to record often reflects weak enforcement and unclear penalties. Legal scholars and oversight boards have pushed for firm remedies when video is missing without cause, so evidence does not vanish into a policy gray zone. Common sense says this too: if a rule matters, leaders must enforce it every time, not only after a headline.

How Tempe Police helped expose the stop

Tempe Police first encountered the case as a suspicious event. A man reported being followed, but normal patrol records did not exist for the stop. Tempe’s review did not find a matching official report and sent the matter to Phoenix Police. That handoff fit with what Phoenix later said: the stop left no standard trail because the officers did not document it. That gap helped define the investigation’s urgency and scope.

The Phoenix chief said investigators reviewed radio traffic and vehicle location data to map movements around the scene. Those tools can show where patrol cars went and when. They help rebuild a timeline when video and a written report are missing. That type of digital cross-check is routine now and can confirm who was present, how long they stayed, and whether actions matched policy.

Accountability, values, and the road ahead

The department’s decision to arrest and fire was fast and firm. That action aligns with basic conservative values: equal treatment under the law, honest record-keeping, and zero tolerance for abuse of power. Wearing a badge does not place anyone above the rules. If the chief’s account holds, the case was not a close call. Assaults, a Taser, and no report defy training, duty, and the public trust that funds the job.

COURT APPEARANCE: The two PHX PD officers (who were fired and arrested) appeared before a judge late Saturday night. MCAO described allegations of a violent “off the books traffic stop”. Both Antonio Felix and Luis Vasquez Jr. have a $100k secured appearance bond. If they are… https://t.co/im8Tbc9lgP pic.twitter.com/IX48DrIIwT

— Ashley Holden (@ashleyvholden) August 23, 2026

One clear lesson returns again: turn on the camera and file the report, every time. Cities that keep that rule tight get clearer cases and fewer bitter fights. Studies show cameras help sort truth from noise and support fair discipline when needed. Good officers benefit most from that clarity. They gain protection against false claims and fewer shadows cast by the few who break the rules.