6 Nov 13th-Nov 19th, 2025 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | Body-cam footage from the arrest of Sergio Nino III. (Phoenix Police Department) ‘He Has No Rights’ Phoenix cops broke teen’s wrist, told him his dad should beat him. BY TJ L’HEUREUX I n January 2024, in the midst of a U.S. Department of Justice investigation that wound up finding a disturbing pattern of abuse against children, three Phoenix cops arrived at a fami- ly’s home late one night. By the time they left, roughly 45 minutes later, they had tackled a 16-year-old boy, broken his wrist and busted open his chin. In between, the cops told the boy’s father that he should beat his son and threatened to handcuff the boy because he was being “a brat.” They also ignored claims from the boy and his 18-year-old sister that the father had been allegedly abusing them. The incident, which is captured in body-worn camera footage obtained by Phoenix New Times, is now the subject of a lawsuit. The boy, Sergio Nino III, is suing the city of Phoenix and the three officers involved for battery and excessive force. The lawsuit was filed in Maricopa County Superior Court on Oct. 27. Phoenix spokesperson Dan Wilson and Phoenix Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Rob Scherer both declined to comment. Scherer also did not respond to a question about whether the three officers are with the department or faced any disci- pline related to the incident. While Nino III declined an interview with Phoenix New Times, his lawyer provided a statement on the case. “This lawsuit exposes how Phoenix Police officers not only ignored their legal duty to protect a teenager but actively encouraged his abuse and then brutalized him for exercising his right to record them,” attorney Larry Wulkan said. “Sergio Nino was a 16-year-old kid in his own home. Instead of safeguarding him, the officers told his father to beat him, fractured his wrist, and left him scarred for life. “What happened to Sergio is indefen- sible and unconstitutional, and this case seeks to hold the City of Phoenix account- able for allowing that culture of impunity to persist.” Nino III is seeking general and compen- satory damages, punitive damages and reimbursement for attorneys’ fees and court costs. The lawsuit did not name a dollar amount and Wulkan did not respond to a New Times inquiry about how much in damages Nino’s team wanted to secure. The lawsuit claims the officers “caused Sergio significant harm, including, but not limited to, a 3-cm long facial laceration, permanent facial scarring, a broken wrist which required surgery, and severe mental pain and suffering.” ‘Your dad should beat you’ Around 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 23, 2024, officers Blake Willer, Kristofer Gries and Matthew Smith responded to a call at a north Phoenix home. The homeowner, a middle-aged man named Sergio Nino Jr., had called after having issues with his son, Nino III. Speaking to the officers in his living room, Nino Jr. explained that he was at the end of his rope with his son, whom he described as having “mental issues.” He said Nino III didn’t listen to him and that Nino III wouldn’t turn over his phone, which Nino Jr. claimed he paid for. Nino Jr. also referenced other calls to police about his son that New Times could not confirm. “I want him to end up someplace he can get help, a juvenile center, because >> p 8 | NEWS |
