PHOENIX — Two Phoenix Police officers are under a criminal investigation after accusations of violence during a traffic stop, failing to turn on body cameras and record the use of force.
Longtime south Phoenix residents and community organizers said allegations like this erode public trust as they demand more answers from the police department.
Multiple sources told ABC15 the officers work in the South Mountain Precinct.
Phoenix PD's investigation comes after Tempe Police spoke to a couple who reported being assaulted during a traffic stop in south Phoenix, near 19th Avenue and Broadway Road.
According to the Tempe PD report, the couple says they were stopped, tased repeatedly, punched and threatened with a gun.
The man said he had pieces of his hair pulled out and said an officer counted down while telling him he would be shot.
The man fled the scene, driving into Tempe. Meanwhile the report said police let the woman go but not before allegedly telling her “We know where you live now.”
Born and raised in south Phoenix and a community organizer for Mass Liberation AZ, Joe Larios said he was “unfortunately not surprised” to learn about the traffic stop near his neighborhood.
“We have seen that countless times with our residents and it’s well documented, not just violence with policing but its impacts,” Larios said. "Folks are demanding to know the specifics of the case. They want to know who the officers are, how long they’ve been with Phoenix PD, we want to know if they have any history of misconduct.”
Fellow south Phoenix local and advocate Dana Burns has been hosting monthly meetings called “Community Conversations” between south Phoenix residents, law enforcement and lawmakers in an effort to repair and build trust between the groups.
"It’s been going pretty well until now,” Burns said. “We lose faith in those that were really trying to trust and believe in.”
She said the reports only make her want to continue her work.
“This motivates me to go even harder,” Burns said. "We don’t have any room for any type of these behaviors that’s being displayed by our law enforcement.”
Phoenix Police released a statement during the ongoing investigation saying in part “We recognize the seriousness of any allegation involving potential criminal behavior by our personnel…Our commitment to transparency and accountability remains central to this process.”
The department has placed both officers on administrative leave and said once the criminal investigation has concluded, the Professional Standards Bureau will start an administrative investigation.
Phoenix Law Enforcement Association (PLEA) President Darrell Kriplean released a statement Wednesday on the investigation:
"We want to be clear about two things. First, these officers are entitled to the same presumption of innocence and due process afforded to every person in this country. An investigation is not a conviction and allegations are not proof. We will defend the due process rights of our members and ensure they are treated fairly throughout this process. We will not participate in a rush to judgment before all the facts are known.
At the same time, wearing a Phoenix Police badge comes with enormous responsibility. If credible evidence ultimately establishes that officers knowingly engaged in criminal conduct and betrayed public trust, PLEA will not excuse it or defend the conduct. The actions of an individual officer should never tarnish the reputation of the thousands of men and women who serve this community honorably every day.”
Phoenix District 7 Councilwoman Anna Hernandez called the allegations “frustrating” in a statement this week:
"These allegations and the preliminary details are yet another example of egregious behavior committed by Phoenix Police against our community. These preliminary details add to a long list of violence Phoenix Police has a history of committing – this was confirmed by the Department of Justice report and has been reinforced over the last 17 months since I took office. While my office does not yet have the full details of what transpired, I am not surprised by any of it. And I am beyond frustrated – and imagine our community is as well – that a department that we give $1.3 billion in taxpayer money keeps finding ways to brutalize our communities, especially Black and Latinx communities.
Our community expects a full and transparent investigation into this interaction by our officers. We must root out whether this was just another failure to follow policy or if this is a pattern of off-the record stops being conducted by our department."
