A new lawsuit is raising serious allegations against the Phoenix Police Department, claiming officers are pressured to make DUI arrests to meet unofficial quotas, even when there is little or no evidence of impairment.
The case was filed by Brianna Longoria, a California woman who says she was wrongfully arrested during a trip to Phoenix in December 2024. Longoria had traveled to Arizona for her wedding, hoping her sick father could attend, but says the experience quickly turned into what she described as a traumatic ordeal.
According to the lawsuit, the incident began when Phoenix police officer Mary Metheny pulled Longoria over near Seventh Street and Washington Street, claiming she ran a red light. However, the legal filing states that body camera footage shows the light was actually green when Longoria drove through the intersection.
During the stop, officers claimed Longoria showed signs of impairment, including red eyes and dilated pupils, and suspected she may have been under the influence of marijuana. Despite those claims, Longoria took a breathalyzer test that showed a result of 0.0, indicating no alcohol in her system. She also passed field sobriety tests, and a later blood test confirmed there were no drugs or alcohol present.
Even with those results, Longoria was still arrested and charged with DUI. The lawsuit argues that officers fabricated details about the stop and her condition to justify the arrest. It also points to body camera audio that allegedly captures officers discussing pressure to make DUI arrests. In that recording, one officer is heard saying they could be removed from their squad if they failed to make a DUI arrest, suggesting a culture where officers feel compelled to meet expectations for arrests.
The lawsuit further claims that while Longoria was being processed, another officer told her husband that even if test results showed no impairment, authorities could still proceed with the case.
As a result of the arrest, Longoria says her life was significantly impacted. She missed a scheduled medical procedure related to her cancer treatment, lost her driver’s license for several months, and faced setbacks in her plans to become a nurse. She also says the arrest forced her to cancel her honeymoon and incur unexpected legal and travel expenses.
Court records show the city later moved to dismiss the DUI charge without prejudice, meaning it could have been refiled at a later date. Longoria is now suing the City of Phoenix, seeking to have her record cleared, recover damages, and push for policy changes and stronger oversight within the police department.
Phoenix police have denied the existence of any DUI quota system. A department spokesperson stated that enforcement decisions are based on observed behavior, training, and the totality of the circumstances, not on meeting numerical targets.
The lawsuit remains ongoing, and it has sparked broader concerns about accountability, officer discretion, and whether informal pressures within the department could be influencing arrest decisions.
Source: ABC15 Arizona
