Brianna Longoria, a newlywed from Fresno, California, was stopped by police on 29/12/2024 while traveling to Arizona for a second wedding celebration, planned so her ailing father could attend. Longoria was driving, with her new husband in the passenger seat.
Longoria was initially accused of running a red light. The stop quickly escalated into a driving under the influence (DUI) investigation. Minutes later, tests revealed "three zeros" for her blood alcohol content.
Despite these results, Longoria was handcuffed and arrested on suspicion of DUI. "I believe you are impaired," an officer told her.
Police cited physical signs such as red eyes and pupil size as justification for the arrest.
After Longoria's arrest, one of the officers was allegedly recorded saying, "They'll kick me off the team if I don't make a DUI arrest."
Longoria's lawyers contend that this exchange raises serious concerns about unofficial pressure and quotas for DUI arrests within the police department.
The Phoenix Police Department, for its part, denies having any quota system and stated that the incident is under internal review.
The DUI case against Longoria was dismissed in 4/2025. Subsequently, a judge overturned the suspension of her driver's license after authorities failed to provide sufficient evidence.
However, Longoria stated that the consequences have "forever changed her life due to the wrongful arrest and prosecution."
In a lawsuit filed in 12/2025 against the city of Phoenix and the involved officers, Longoria's legal team claims the arrest caused delays in her cancer treatment, impacted her nursing studies, and led her to miss part of her honeymoon.
"If there is one word to describe this incident, it is fabricated," the complaint states. "The defendants stopped Brianna while she was driving based on a fabricated traffic violation, conducted field sobriety tests based on fabricated observations, and then imprisoned and prosecuted her based on even more fabricated evidence."
Longoria is seeking compensation for damages, changes in policy, and the expungement of the arrest from her record.
My Anh (according to New York Post)
