5 Connecticut cops had been hit with felony prices Monday for allegedly paralyzing a black man from the chest down throughout a trip behind a police van, authorities mentioned.
Randy Cox, 36, was being dropped at a detention facility in June by the New Haven Police Division, when the van made a tough cease to keep away from a collision and triggered Cox to violently slide head-first contained in the van, in line with footage captured of the incident.
Cox, who was being processed on a weapons cost, known as out for assist and mentioned he couldn’t transfer from the ground, in line with video and officers.
“I can’t transfer. I’m going to die like this.,” Cox mentioned minutes after the crash. “Please, please, please assist me.”
Officer Oscar Diaz, the motive force of the van and one of many 5 charged, at one level stopped the automobile and checked on Cox, police mentioned. However when he known as paramedics, he informed them to fulfill on the station as an alternative of the place the van was stopped, police mentioned.
Some officers on the detention heart made enjoyable of Cox and accused him of being drunk or faking his accidents, in line with dialogue captured by surveillance and physique cam footage.
When Cox mentioned he thought he cracked his neck, Sgt. Betsy Segui, who was additionally charged, replied, “you didn’t crack it, no, you drank an excessive amount of … sit up.”
Cox was dragged by his toes to a holding cell earlier than he was taken to the hospital and identified with a fractured neck and left partially paralyzed.
Segui, 40, Diaz, 54, officers Ronald Pressley, 56, Jocelyn Lavandier, 35, and Luis Rivera, 40, had been all charged with second-degree reckless endangerment and cruelty.
Each turned themselves in and posted $25,000 bond with their subsequent court docket date set for Dec. 8, Connecticut state police mentioned.
New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson admonished their conduct Monday.
“You can also make errors, however you possibly can’t deal with folks poorly, interval. You can not deal with folks the way in which Mr. Cox was handled,” Jacobson mentioned.
Cox’s household legal professional Ben Crump known as on the officers to be held accountable.
“It is crucial — if you see that video of how they handled Randy Cox and the actions and inactions that led to him being paralyzed from his chest down — that these cops needs to be held to the complete extent of the legislation,” he mentioned Monday.
His household filed a federal lawsuit in opposition to New Haven and the 5 charged officers in September.
Cox was arrested on June 19 after police accused him of carrying a handgun at a block celebration, although the fees in opposition to him had been later dropped.
The officers and sergeant have been on administrative go away since final summer time.
With Submit wires