5 New Haven Officers Charged in Paralysis of Black Man They Transported - The New York Times

Five Connecticut constabulary officers were charged connected Monday with misdemeanors successful a lawsuit successful which a Black antheral who was being transported successful the backmost of a constabulary van became paralyzed erstwhile the operator deed the brakes hard, shattering the man’s spine.

The man, Richard Cox, 36, known arsenic Randy, was being taken to a constabulary presumption successful New Haven connected June 19 connected a weapons-related complaint successful a van that was not equipped with seatbelts. He smashed headfirst into the van’s wrong wall, and the incidental was captured connected video.

The officers appeared to dainty him callously pursuing his injuries, mocking his inability to beryllium up, constabulary video and audio released by lawyers for his household show.

The lawsuit is strikingly akin to that of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old Baltimore man who died successful 2015 aft constabulary officers drove him unrestrained successful the backmost of a akin transport vehicle. In Mr. Cox’s case, constabulary officers who attended the injured antheral admonished him to get up and said helium was drunk, according to constabulary records.

In a speech captured connected a recording, helium told the officers helium could not consciousness thing oregon move. “If you’ve got to resistance me, bash what you’ve got to do,” Mr. Cox said. The officers dragged him from the van by his feet.

On Monday the 5 New Haven officers progressive — Oscar Diaz, Ronald Pressley, Jocelyn Lavandier, Luis Rivera and Sgt. Betsy Segui, who look reckless endangerment and cruelty charges — turned themselves successful astatine the Connecticut State Police barracks, according to the authorities police. They were each released connected $25,000 bond, with a tribunal day acceptable for Dec. 8.

“The City of New Haven is committed to accountability for each individuals progressive successful this tragic incident,” Justin Elicker, the politician of New Haven, said successful a statement.

At a quality league astatine City Hall connected Monday, Karl Jacobson, the New Haven constabulary chief, addressed the charges. “It’s hard to spot officers charged,” Chief Jacobson said, according to published reports. “You tin marque mistakes, but you can’t dainty radical the mode Randy Cox was treated.”

Jack O’Donnell, Mr. Cox’s lawyer, said that portion his client’s household is pleased that arrests were made, they judge that the constabulary officers should person faced much stringent charges. That said, they were heartened by the information that the New Haven state’s attorney, John P. Doyle Jr., brought a cruelty complaint that entails transgression negligence. “Even though it is simply a misdemeanor, it is simply a fitting charge,” Mr. O’Donnell said. “Because it was abundantly that it was cruel and inhumane.”

This fall, Mr. Cox’s ineligible squad filed a suit successful national tribunal successful New Haven against the metropolis and the officers, seeking $100 cardinal successful damages for his injuries and suffering. In abstracted ineligible responses, respective of the officers claimed extortion nether qualified immunity — a ineligible doctrine that protects officials and instrumentality enforcement officers from being individually liable unless a law close was intelligibly violated. The Elicker medication besides filed a akin claim.

Mr. Cox’s injuries, some the officers’ and the city’s filings claimed, resulted successful portion from his ain negligence. Mr. O’Donnell said his client, who underwent respective surgeries to repair his spine and is paralyzed from the thorax down, was appalled by their response.

Mr. Cox is presently successful a rehabilitation center. “His surgeon said it is doubtful that helium volition ever locomotion again, that deed him benignant of hard,” Mr. O’Donnell said. “We effort to boost his spirits by saying that ‘doubtful’ isn’t a last conclusion.”