7 July 18th-July 24th, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | Questions? Feedback? Email me at [email protected] • Follow me on RATING (out of 5 McFly’s) WE’RE GONNA ROCK DOWN TO, ELECTRIC SUBARU: 2024 SUBARU SOLTERRA TOURING 2024 KIA TELLURIDE SX-PRESTIGE X-PRO V6 “We’re gonna rock down “We’re gonna rock down to, Electric Subaru, and to, Electric Subaru, and then we’ll take it higher!” then we’ll take it higher!” Using the Electric Avenue Using the Electric Avenue song in a marketing song in a marketing campaign would A HOME campaign would A HOME RUN for Subaru and the RUN for Subaru and the 2024 EV Solterra. The 2024 EV Solterra. The Solterra is screams, “I’m a Solterra is screams, “I’m a cool looking Subaru” but is cool looking Subaru” but is clearly a Subaru, which is clearly a Subaru, which is either a positive or negative either a positive or negative depending on your Subaru depending on your Subaru view. view. The dual electric motors The dual electric motors of the Solterra delivers of the Solterra delivers 215 horsepower and 215 horsepower and 249 pound-feet of torque 249 pound-feet of torque which makes for a smooth which makes for a smooth enjoyable ride. The range enjoyable ride. The range on the Solterra is the main on the Solterra is the main thing holding it back from thing holding it back from greatness at around 222 greatness at around 222 miles per charge. Subaru miles per charge. Subaru needs to work hard on needs to work hard on getting over 300 miles per getting over 300 miles per charge if they want to get charge if they want to get their sales volume up. their sales volume up. The cabin of the Solterra The cabin of the Solterra is awesome. It is spacious, is awesome. It is spacious, comfortable and delivers comfortable and delivers a high-tech vibe (like most a high-tech vibe (like most EV’s). The oval steering EV’s). The oval steering wheel looks a little goofy wheel looks a little goofy but it helps you see the but it helps you see the instrument panel and is instrument panel and is actually comfortable to actually comfortable to drive. You can fit 4 adults drive. You can fit 4 adults comfortably and the cargo comfortably and the cargo room is room is ample. room is room is ample. Priced at $54,558, the Priced at $54,558, the Solterra is an affordable Solterra is an affordable EV option but the range EV option but the range issue is going to be an issue is going to be an issue for most. BUT, if they issue for most. BUT, if they turn on the Electric Subaru turn on the Electric Subaru campaign, they’ll sell a campaign, they’ll sell a boat load!! boat load!! Comfort: Value: Fuel Economy: Looks: The Drive: Safety & Security: Overall: Sound System: Bells & Whistles: Chaumont “fired their weapons at Mr. Reynoso as he was moving away from them, with his arms down by his sides, as observed and reported in the police report by a witness.” The lawsuit also claimed that five officers failed to administer aid to Reynoso, instead standing around his body “for approximately three minutes as he writhed in pain.” Reynoso was ultimately taken to a hospital and pronounced dead. The suit states that Garcia brought the claims on behalf of their four children “who lost their father that day.” Shot in the back Three days later, Phoenix police killed Mendez with three shots while he was pinned down by two officers and another man. The critical incident briefing provided footage from the incident, but little is visible in crucial moments leading up to Mendez’s death. The chain of events that the lawsuit said led to his death — outside of a friend’s storage locker, after the storage facility manager told police he was allowed to be there — is bewildering. The shooting took place at roughly 3:45 p.m. at a storage facility at 31st and Washington streets, where Mendez’s friend had a locker.According to the lawsuit, the facility’s manager and the manager’s boyfriend told Mendez that the lock on the unit was faulty and that Mendez and his companion that day — Sonya Gonzalez, who was renting the locker — would have to “force it.” Mendez and Gonzalez followed those directions, but someone called 911 to report a commercial burglary. Officers Taylor Drake and Alexander Cowan responded and were allowed into the facility by the manager, though the lawsuit said the manager “did not tell the officers there was a concern or a problem.” Drake and Cowan found Mendez and Gonzalez standing next to storage units and detained them, “even though there was no sign of damage to any storage unit,” according to the lawsuit. Gonzalez told the officers that they were instructed to try to force the lock and that the storage unit was hers. The officers ordered them to sit down — both Mendez and Gonzalez complied — and asked for identification. Gonzalez handed the officers an ID, but Mendez didn’t have one. From the video footage, he apparently told officers his name was Roberto Gallo, using the last name of his father, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. While Drake was running a record check of the two, according to the lawsuit, the boyfriend of the facility manager arrived and told the officers that Mendez and Gonzalez were “permitted to be there.” He also offered to help the two once the officers left. But when Drake returned to speak with Mendez and Gonzalez, the video showed him asking Mendez to spell his name. Shortly after, the cop announced, “Right now, you’re being detained.” According to the lawsuit, Drake said it was because Mendez provided the wrong birthdate. The two officers closed in on the sitting Mendez, who briefly broke away from them before they pinned him down. Drake and Cowan then asked the manager’s boyfriend to help them hold Mendez down, which he did, according to the lawsuit. Little could be seen on the body- cam footage at this point, though audio depicts all four struggling for about a minute as officers tried to handcuff Mendez. According to the lawsuit, Drake deliv- ered knee strikes to Mendez’s back and spine before pulling out his gun. Around this time, Drake drew his service weapon, shouting, “Stop fucking grabbing the taser, or I’m going to shoot you!” As the lawsuit notes, Drake “intention- ally chose not to use his taser, despite the fact that he was within a foot or two of Mr. Mendez,” instead deciding to pull out a firearm. The suit also claimed that Mendez “did not have Officer Cowan’s taser or any other weapon in his hand.” Indeed, the taser is the only thing visible in the frame, and while Drake told Mendez to drop the taser, there wasn’t a hand around it. After telling Mendez to “let go of the taser” three more times, Drake fired three shots. According to the lawsuit, the bullets entered Mendez’s back. Mendez was taken to a hospital, where he died. The lawsuit claimed Cowan and Drake breached the duty of care by detaining Mendez and Gonzalez despite being told the two were allowed to be in the facility. It also claimed Drake violated the standard of care when he fired his gun over “less lethal options like pepper spray or his taser.” Mendez died, the suit said, even though there was “no evidence a crime had been committed” and “no reason to believe Mr. Mendez or Ms. Gonzalez had done anything wrong.” A lawsuit claimed Phoenix cops attempted to detain — and ultimately shot — Juan Manuel Reynoso despite there being no reason to arrest him. (Photo courtesy of the Phoenix Police Department)
