TEMPE, AZ — An Arizona man was on his way to get food at a Tempe restaurant last year when police pulled him over in his expensive Ferrari.
According to police, Eli Landry, was “trying to test the physical endurance of the vehicle” — a silver 812 — that he said often attracts attention to people on the roads.
The 24-year-old was driving near Rural Road and Apache Boulevard. He had a friend driving behind him in a Dodge Charger.
“Obviously, our cars are loud,” said Landry. “Can’t control that."
Body camera footage shows officers handcuffing Landry for exhibition of speed and reckless driving after he was parked in a parking garage.
"What was I doing?" Landry asked the arresting officer in body camera video. "I wasn't showing off."
The Tempe Police Department has been cracking down on street racing, as ABC15 has covered in the past. The department has received more than half a million dollars in grant funding to target street racing and other unsafe driving behaviors since 2023.
In a statement, a Tempe spokesperson said that reckless and dangerous driving is one of the community’s top concerns.
The ABC15 Investigators reviewed nearly 400 exhibition of speed citations from Tempe police. Our review found that citations increased by more than 700% from 2020 to 2024.
In 2024, 228 people were cited, the most issued in a single year since 2020.
"Most of my clients for this are by themselves on the roadway,” said attorney Zachary Ansell, who represents Landry.
Landry was arrested by police on charges of reckless driving and exhibition of speed. He was later acquitted. He decided to share his story, knowing that not everyone can take a case to trial.
He wants to warn other drivers to be cautious in Tempe.
"Be careful. Be very careful,” Landry said.
According to the police report, Tempe Officer Gavin Young wrote that Landry's car appeared to be "testing the physical endurance of the vehicle." The officer estimated Landry was driving 60 mph in a 35 mph zone, though he admitted this was only a visual guess without radar confirmation.
"There's no video of what they say happened," Landry added. "They don't have dash cameras. No radar, no dash cameras. Nothing other than the cop's word versus my word."
The body camera video shows that Landry’s loud car was part of why he was stopped.
“Dude, the obnoxious noise and just the grinding of the tires,” Young said on the video.
Landry responded that the grinding of the tires is from the tires rubbing from a body kit that is on there.
“That is the tire doing that, I can’t control that,” he told the officer.
Young responded that “it’s reckless.”
Landry said he thinks the loud Ferrari played a role in his stop and arrest.
A spokesperson for the Tempe Police Department said in an email that with increased resources and targeted operations in recent years, they have been able to identify and stop more dangerous drivers. They added, "that enforcement is not based on the type of car or driver."
The officer wrote in the report that when Landry turned eastbound on Apache Boulevard, the rear tires fishtailed slightly, “the Ferrari then stopped and did a burnout with its rear tires.”
Landry said in an interview with ABC15 that there was no evidence to show any of Officer Young’s account, as there was no smoke and there were no tire remains.
"He didn't have smoke. And obviously there's no tire remains," Landry considered it “lies in the police report.”
Tempe police responded by email that Officer Young testified under oath related to his observations and actions in this case, “Allegations that an officer falsified information are taken seriously and would be thoroughly investigated if supported by credible evidence; however, no such evidence existed in the case.”
Landry hired an attorney and took his case to a jury trial in August inside a Tempe municipal courtroom.
Ansell, his attorney, said, “It’s rare to take any case to a jury trial. It’s a roll of the dice,” he said.
Ansell said this is a unique case because of Landry’s car with custom upgrades and believes the officer didn’t understand this Ferrari.
Arizona’s street racing law prohibits drivers from participating in races, speed competitions, drag races, testing physical endurance or "exhibition of speed."
Ansell considers the law vague.
"The statute basically just says exhibition of speed," Ansell said. "But at the end of the day, it's showing off your vehicle's quality to be fast. And what does that mean? That could be anything."
The city prosecutor alleged in the trial that Landry showed off the “power and capabilities of this powerful sports car.”
However, Landry denies that.
Landry told ABC15 that his car could go 0 to 60 in around 3 seconds.
”If I really wanted to, yeah, I could show off the car pretty easily and just put my foot down and pedal to the metal,” he said, “But again, I wasn’t.”
Officer Young was called to the stand during cross-examination and compared Landry’s driving to a “performance.”
“Extremely loud as they were traveling in tandem. Kind of like Cirque Du Soleil style. Like they were performing an act somewhat,” said Young.
Ansell asked Young in cross-examination if he ever saw the two vehicles racing.
Young replied, “I did not,” but referenced how Landry and his friend were riding extremely close in tandem.
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At trial, Ansell played body camera footage that showed two officers had muted their cameras, unaware a third officer was still recording nearby.
An officer can be heard asking Young, "Do we have anything criminal here?" and the video shows Young shaking his head no.
Ansell asked Officer Young about this exchange in the trial.
“What I just heard there is, ‘Do we have anything criminal and you shaking your head and stating no,’” Ansell said.
Young responded that the officer who asked him was talking about Landry’s friend in the Dodge Charger, not Landry.
"If those questions are being asked, we probably shouldn't have been in a jury trial in the first place," Ansell told ABC15.
After deliberation, the jury found Landry not guilty on all charges.
"Oh, it was so relieving," Landry said. "My parents cried. I think they were more relieved than anyone, knowing that these cops didn't get away with lies."
Landry, an entrepreneur, has a love for supercars. He said he has found success in his businesses as well as investing.
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TEMPE’S FULL STATEMENT:
"The Tempe Police Department is committed to public safety and responding to one of our community’s top concerns —reckless and dangerous driving. Exhibition of speed and other laws exist to deter those behaviors and help keep everyone on the road safe.
"Officers gather facts and enforce laws when those facts meet the elements of crimes; enforcement is not based on the type of car or driver. Safety is our top priority, and all drivers are held to the same standards under the law.
"With increased resources and targeted operations in recent years, we’ve been able to identify and stop more dangerous drivers. In 2024 alone, three operations focused on speed and street racing, which led to fewer collisions. During one operation, there were zero fatalities and a 50% drop in crashes. These results show that enforcement plays a significant role in traffic safety, and our officers are doing their jobs to protect the community.
"We respect the independent role the courts play within the justice system. Officer Gavin Young testified under oath related to his observations and actions in this case, providing clarification related to this incident and his investigation. Allegations that an officer falsified information are taken seriously and would be thoroughly investigated if supported by credible evidence; however, no such evidence existed in the case.
"Our officers will continue to enforce valid Arizona laws with professionalism and integrity, trusting the process to deliver fair and impartial decisions. Our focus remains on preventing crashes, protecting the public, and deterring reckless driving in Tempe."
