Corrections & Clarifications: The officer is accused of kneeing a man 2-3 times in the face and then initially punching him 4-5 times, according to Phoenix police. A previous version of the article included an incorrect number because of an error in the transfer of information from police to the court.

A Phoenix police officer is facing an aggravated-assault charge in connection to an arrest he made in December when he punched and kneed a 22-year-old man numerous times in the face and body, according to police, court records and the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.

Phoenix police Officer Tim Baiardi, who has been with the department since November 2001, is on paid administrative leave, police officials said Thursday.

Amanda Steele, a spokeswoman for the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, said via email that the county prosecutor's office received a case on March 12 seeking a charging decision for a Tim Baiardi. She said police recommended Baiardi be charged with aggravated assault.

Sgt. Tommy Thompson, a spokesman for the Phoenix Police Department, said he couldn't give out a lot of information on the case. But, he did confirm the Phoenix Police Department conducted the investigation into Baiardi and forwarded the case to the County Attorney's Office.

Phoenix police have not provided police reports or any body-cam footage from the arrest, which The Arizona Republic requested under state public records law.

Mike "Britt" London, the president for the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, or PLEA, the union that represents rank-and-file officers, said he was aware of the allegations Baiardi is facing.

Baiardi also served as a board member for PLEA, but London said in the statement that Baiardi is suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.

Resisting arrest

While it's not unheard of for civilians to make excessive-force complaints against police officers, this case is a rare circumstance of fellow officers accusing one of their own of a crime.

On Dec. 8, according to a probable-cause statement and criminal complaint, Baiardi approached Roger Moran inside a Walmart near 51st Avenue and Indian School Road. The officer told Moran he saw him take the store tags from a pair of pants and then wear the pants with the intention of stealing them, the statement says.

Moran tried to flee as Baiardi grabbed his handcuffs to arrest Moran, the statement says. Baiardi was able to physically get a hold of Moran and Moran tried to grab the officer's testicles, the statement says.

The officer then backed away from Moran and kneed him 2-3 times on the face, the statement says. Moran tried to escape again, so Baiardi punched him 4-5 times, the statement says.

The officer and an unidentified witness brought down Moran to the ground and the officer put one handcuff on a wrist, the statement says. Still, Moran resisted, and tried to reach for the officer's testicles again.

Baiardi then punched Moran 2-3 more times, the statement says, before he was able to handcuff the other wrist and take him into custody.

Phoenix police Officer Austin Stephenson wrote the probable-cause statement and added that Baiardi "sustained a minor injury to his right pink(y) finger, ring finger and swelling on his knuckles."

Moran was released from custody on April 12, according to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. He is charged with shoplifting, aggravated assault on a police officer and resisting arrest, according to Maricopa County Superior Court records.

'Due process'

London, the union president, said in the statement he would not directly comment on the case and that Baiardi is afforded the same rights as any other defendant in a criminal case.

"As is our practice, we will not comment on the specifics of the investigation," he said in his statement. "Throughout this process, PLEA will remain committed to its mission of promoting the positive role of the police profession and protecting the rights of its members. We would like to remind the public that police officers are entitled to due process and that they are entitled to the same presumption of innocence afforded to every citizen."

KNXV-TV, the ABC Phoenix affiliate, first reported that Baiardi is facing a criminal charge.

Other excessive force claims

In March, AaRone Fowler also accused the Phoenix Police Department of excessive force when two officers roughed him up when they falsely accused him of stealing his own vehicle.

Fowler said two officers approached him at about 3 a.m. March 17 near 16th and Monroe streets as he waited for a friend. He said the officers told him his vehicle had been reported stolen.

They subsequently pulled one of his arms, dragged him, pulled his hair and tied his feet together, he said. After police determined the vehicle belonged to Fowler, he said, they let him go and told him he shouldn't have resisted.

Phoenix police said it has launched an internal investigation.

Fowler's lawyer, Benjamin Taylor, said on Thursday that he and his client are still waiting for Phoenix police to release the police report and on-body camera footage.

Uriel Garcia covers public-safety issues in Arizona. Reach him at uriel.garcia@azcentral.com. Follow him on Twitter @ujohnnyg. Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.