Shocking footage of a police officer in Phoenix, Arizona getting verbally abused and then assaulted during a routine traffic stop has surfaced online and is currently making the rounds. The incident allegedly took place on May 25th, near Cactus and 24th Street. According to the police officer in the video, the man he pulled over was doing 30MPH in a zone that required him to be doing a consistent 40MPH. During said traffic stop, the irate man instigated a fierce verbal altercation that quickly escalated into assault. Be warned that the video below may be distressing.
The almost-three-minute clip is taken from the bodycam footage of the Phoenix police officer, and starts with him silently exiting his police cruiser, before turning on the audio to his recording device and asking the guy he pulled over, “Is there a problem?” Stood in a white Nike vest, black trainers, and black short, with his arms firmly crossed, the man fires back, “What is your problem? You’re following me.”
“You’re the one that’s going out, yelling at me, doing whatever.” replies the officer, although the next part is a little tricky to discern, as they both talk over each other for a few moments. “Do you know what the speed limit is?” continues the cop, and the man responds, “35 or 40?”
“It is 40.” clarifies the officer. “You were travelling 30. You need to be at 40.” In retort, the man points at the highway while attempting to reason with the officer, stating, “That lady right there was just going so slow. You couldn’t go around her to get to me, dude.” Clarifying things further, the cop explains what he saw, “Yeah, you go around her. And then you stop again. What is your problem with me? You obviously want my attention. What do you need?” It’s worth noting that the man claims that he did not stop again, though tensions continue to rise.
“I did not stop. Why are you following me, motherf*cker?” responds the man rudely, becoming more combative. “I am not following you.” says the cop. “Yes you f*cking are!” yells the man angrily. “Give me your driver’s licence.” instructs the police officer, as things start getting more serious. “F*ck you! F*ck you! F*ck you! What did you pull me over for?” shouts the man. “For driving under the speed limit.” calmly replies the Phoenix police officer.
The man then claims what the police officer is doing is illegal, exclaiming, “Get your f*cking superior here right now! Get your f*cking superior here you f*cking punk! Back the f*ck up!” The cop can then be seen calling for backup on his radio, as the situation intensifies. “You’re a punk a*s b*tch! F*ck you!” he yells, as he continues to request the officer’s superior, though the officer does tell him that he’s on his way.
Moments later, the officer puts his hand on the man’s chest, and asks him, “Please stop walking up on me. Back up.” However, all of a sudden, the man throws a punch at the officer, which instigates a full-on fist fight. The irate man throws a few punches and kicks the officer, and shouts “Come one! Come on with it!” as the scuffle worsens. The officer’s bodycam even falls to the floor during the commotion.
The footage then cuts to a different angle, which is reportedly from a witness’s phone, and shows the officer fighting with the man on the side of the highway. A passerby attempts to intervene, to help the cop, and even holds the man’s arms to stop him from hurting the policeman. According to a report from 12 News, however, the man attempts to grab the officer’s gun, which prompts him to brandish his weapon and shoot him in the leg, incapacitating him. At the end of the video, other police vehicles arrive at the scene, with their sirens blaring loudly, bringing an end to the footage.
While the video circulates online, viewers were left in shock at the man’s violent assault, and many sided with the police officer. One Redditor wrote, “I thought the cop was surprisingly nice and gave have him about a thousand chances not to escalate this and make it worse. Surprised lethal force wasn’t used“. A second commenter weighed in, penning, “How to turn a little thing into a big thing.”
The man has since been identified as 46-year-old Sam Peron, and is being charged with felony and aggravated assault on an officer. Furthermore, Peron was also allegedly involved in another aggravated assault five days prior at Cave Creek Roadhouse. In that incident, Peron went behind a bar and struck a bartender in the face before fleeing the scene.
The police officer who was involved in the traffic stop, who is a four-year veteran, was sadly injured during the assault, though he’s doing “Okay,” according to the PPD.
