By admin 
PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Two fired Phoenix police officers accused of carrying out a violent, unreported traffic stop in south Phoenix have been released from custody after posting bail.
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Luis Vazquez Jr., 31, was released on Sunday, and Antonio Felix, 31, was released on Monday. Both are accused of what Phoenix Police Chief Matthew Giordano called “egregious criminal conduct” while on duty stemming from an incident on Aug. 5.
Details of the alleged assault
According to court documents, Vazquez and Felix pulled over a vehicle carrying a man and a woman in south Phoenix. The officers admitted they failed to report the traffic stop to dispatchers and did not activate their body-worn cameras.
Investigators say the encounter quickly turned violent when the officers forcefully removed the couple from their car. The officers then repeatedly tased, punched, and held the victims at gunpoint.
The male victim managed to break free and escape in his car during the struggle. The officers then allegedly released the woman from handcuffs, but not before issuing a chilling warning.
According to court records, one of the officers told the woman, “He’s probably going to get shot,” and warned, “We know where you live now.” The officers then abandoned the woman on the side of the road at night without her cell phone, according to prosecutors.
Officers face severe criminal charges
Vazquez and Felix have both been fired from the Phoenix Police Department and arrested. Prosecutors have charged both former officers with six counts matching the severe nature of the allegations:
- Kidnapping (Class 2 Felony) [A.R.S. § 13-1304(A)(3)] — filed due to unlawfully detaining the victims with the threat of death or physical injury.
- Aggravated Assault (Class 6 Felony) [A.R.S. § 13-1204] — two counts representing physical injuries and weapons violations during the assault.
- Tampering with Physical Evidence (Class 6 Felony) [A.R.S. § 13-2809(A)] — related to the failure to record the incident or log the traffic stop.
- Hindering Prosecution in the First Degree (Class 5 Felony) [A.R.S. § 13-2512(A)] — in connection with concealing the unlawful enforcement action.
- Threatening or Intimidating (Class 1 Misdemeanor) [A.R.S. § 13-1202] — stemming from the verbal threats made before abandoning the female victim.
Past disciplinary record and previous shooting
Vazquez, an Army veteran, served with the Phoenix Police Department for eight years. Records show Vazquez was involved in a deadly officer-involved shooting in February 2025. Prosecutors later cleared Vazquez of any criminal wrongdoing in that case.
Felix had been with the police department for nine years. Both officers were assigned to patrol duties at the South Mountain Precinct.
Susie Charbel, a veteran Arizona legal expert with decades of experience as a prosecutor, defense attorney and judge, said she’s never seen a case like this one before.
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“Everything about the stop, before, during and after, it just does not look good,” Charbel said. “This could go very deep, and it could go very wrong.”
Broad legal implications for pending cases
The arrests have cast a shadow over all previous police work conducted by Vazquez and Felix. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office is currently searching its databases for active criminal cases where either of the former officers is listed as a material witness.
“I’m sure everybody’s concerned about the cases they’ve been working, and if anybody’s going to come forward and say this has happened to them,” Charbel said.
Because the former officers’ credibility has been severely compromised, prosecutors may have to throw out cases where Vazquez and Felix are the primary witnesses.
“They’re looking to see in their database which cases these two officers have been involved in, either singularly or both of them at the same time,” Charbel said. “They’re probably hoping that there were other officers involved in those cases, because if not, you’re looking at possibly dismissing those cases.”
The motive for the attack remains unknown. Phoenix Police confirmed that the officers did not know the victims prior to the stop.
Vazquez and Felix claimed they initially initiated the stop because they suspected the driver was operating the vehicle while intoxicated.
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