Phoenix Officer Assaulted by Repeat Offender

On Friday, May 30, 2025, at approximately 1:45 p.m., a female Phoenix police officer from the South Mountain Precinct, with six years of service, responded to a disturbance call at a business near 19th and Southern avenues in south Phoenix. The suspect, 51-year-old Joseph Huggins, was reported to be panhandling, banging on store windows and doors, and intimidating patrons, which alarmed customers and prompted the call to police.

When the officer approached Huggins to address the situation, he allegedly became violent, striking her multiple times in the face. The assault, captured on video, caused the officer to fall to the ground, resulting in a broken nose, a broken ankle, and facial injuries. She was hospitalized in serious condition but was released the following day, Saturday, May 31, 2025, and is expected to make a full recovery.

Huggins fled the scene but was apprehended a short distance away by Phoenix police. He was taken into custody and booked into jail on charges of aggravated assault and disorderly conduct. He is currently being held on a $100,000 cash bond. Court records reveal that Huggins has a history of violent behavior, including prior charges for aggravated assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, and obstruction, with a notable incident in 2024 involving another assault on law enforcement.