The 36-year-old man who was paralyzed in a police van receives a settlement of $ 45 million

A man who was paralyzed in the back of a police van has received a $45 million settlement from the city after officers mocked him and accused him of lying about his injuries.

New Haven, Connecticut, agreed to pay Randy Cox $45 million after he became paralyzed as he was transported to prison in handcuffs and without a seatbelt in the back of a police van following his arrest last year, the city’s mayor and lawyers said Saturday.

The agreement was reached Friday night after a daylong conference with a federal magistrate, Mayor Justin Elicker said. It came two days after the city fired two police officers whom authorities say treated 36-year-old Cox recklessly and without compassion.

“The city’s mistakes are well documented,” said a statement from attorneys Ben Crump, Louis Rubano and RJ Weber, who represented Cox. “But today is a time to look to the future so that the people of New Haven can have confidence in their city and their police department.”

Cox, 36, was paralyzed from the chest down on June 19, 2022, when the police van he was riding in braked hard, sending him headfirst into a metal wall while his hands were handcuffed behind his back. Cox had been arrested on a charge of threatening a woman with a gun, which was later dismissed.

Cox was paralyzed from the chest down on June 19, 2022, when the police van he was riding in braked hard, sending him headfirst into a metal wall while his hands were handcuffed behind his back.

‘I can not move. I’m about to die. Please, please, please help me,” Cox said minutes after the crash, according to police video.

Once at the police station, officers mocked Cox and accused him of being drunk and faking his injuries, according to surveillance and body-worn CCTV footage. Officers dragged Cox out of the van by his feet and placed him in a holding cell before he was eventually taken to a hospital.

Five officers, including those who have been fired, face criminal charges in the case. The five New Haven police officers were charged with second-degree reckless endangerment and cruelty to persons. They were placed on administrative leave after the incident. All have pleaded not guilty.

Officer Oscar Diaz was the driver of the van and was accompanied by Sergeant Betsy Segui. Officers Ronald Pressley, Jocelyn Lavandier and Luis Rivera were working in the detention area when Cox was dragged to a cell in a wheelchair.

The agents turned themselves in at a state police barracks in November. Each was processed, posted $25,000 bail and is due in court Dec. 8, according to a state police press release.

In September, Cox’s lawyer Ben Crump, who has represented the families of George Floyd, Breanna Taylor and Trayvon Martin, said he was suing the police for $100 million. His lawyers called the settlement the largest ever in a police misconduct case.

Since the horrific ordeal, Cox has undergone multiple surgeries

The settlement came two days after the city fired two police officers who authorities say recklessly treated Cox. The five New Haven police officers were charged with second-degree reckless endangerment and cruelty to persons. They pleaded not guilty

Crump said the city should take responsibility for what happened, saying several times that “it shouldn’t have been necessary for Cox to sue.”

He said, “When we say we respect Randy Cox’s life and respect Randy Cox’s life experiences… New Haven and across America to really show that we believe black lives matter.”

Crump said Cox suffers from “mental anguish probably worse than death itself,” the Hartford Courant reported.

Since the horrific ordeal, Cox has undergone multiple surgeries.

Crump said giving Cox “a basic quality of life” would cost $20 million to $30 million, including retrofitting a van and round-the-clock care.

Cox did not plan to make any public comments over the weekend, Rubano said.

“He was kind of reliving what happened to him all day yesterday, so it was a very emotional day,” the lawyer said on the phone. “He’s relaxing now.”

The case provoked outrage among civil rights advocates such as the NAACP

The case drew outrage from civil rights advocates like the NAACP, along with comparisons to the Freddie Gray case in Baltimore. Cox is black, while all five officers arrested are black or Hispanic. Gray, who was also black, died in 2015 after suffering a spinal cord injury while handcuffed and handcuffed in a city police van.

The New Haven Police Department has since implemented reforms, including ensuring that all inmates wear seatbelts. The state Senate on June 5 gave final approval to legislation requiring seat belts for all prisoners being transported.

“Randy got into a police transport vehicle when he could walk, and now he can’t walk,” Elicker said at a news conference Saturday. He said he spoke to Cox’s mother earlier in the day.

“What I shared with her is that while this settlement cannot return Randy to his original state when he got into that police transport vehicle, I hope it provides Randy with the future medical and other support he will need,” Elicker said. . . “Randy is 36 years old and we hope he has a long life ahead of him with the support and care he deserves.”