In connection with the treatment of a Black man who became paralyzed from the chest down in the back of a police van, five Connecticut police officers were charged with misdemeanours on Monday.
Randy Cox, 36, was being driven to a New Haven police station on June 19 for processing on a weapons charge when the driver suddenly applied heavy braking, ostensibly to prevent an accident, sending Cox flying headfirst into the van wall, according to authorities.
Some of the cops made fun of Cox while he begged for assistance, claiming he was unable to move and accused him of being inebriated and fabricating his injuries. The police then removed him by his feet from the van and put him in a holding area before eventually transporting him to a hospital.
Charges of second-degree reckless endangerment and cruelty to people were brought against the five New Haven police officers. Since last summer, everyone has been on administrative leave.
The mayor and police chief of New Haven both told reporters on Monday that it was critical for the agency to be open and accountable.
“You can make mistakes, but you can’t treat people poorly, period. You cannot treat people the way Mr Cox was treated,” said Police Chief Karl Jacobson.
The cops surrendered on Monday at a state police barracks. According to a state police press release, everyone was processed, posted a $25,000 bond, and is now scheduled to appear in court on December 8. We issued letters requesting comments from the officers’ lawyers.
The case has sparked concern from civil rights organizations like the NAACP and has been compared to the Baltimore case of Freddie Gray. Gray, a Black man, died in 2015 after suffering a spinal injury while restrained in a city police van while wearing handcuffs and a chain.
Ben Crump, the family’s lawyer, stated on Monday that the New Haven police must be held accountable.
“It is important — when you see that video of how they treated Randy Cox and the actions and inactions that led to him being paralyzed from his chest down — that those police officers should be held to the full extent of the law,” Crump said
Cox was taken into custody on June 19 after police claimed they discovered him with a weapon at a block party. Later, the accusations against him were dropped.
In September, Cox’s family sued the city of New Haven and the five officers in federal court. The lawsuit makes claims of negligence, going over the posted speed limit, and using the police van without the required restraints.
Last Monday, four of the cops submitted petitions requesting qualified immunity from the lawsuit, alleging that nothing they did in the case went against any “clearly established” legal norm.
In response to the incident, New Haven officials announced a number of police reforms this summer, including a ban on the use of police vans for the majority of prisoner transfers in favour of marked police vehicles. They also mandate that if a prisoner wants or appears to require medical attention, authorities must quickly dispatch an ambulance to the scene.
