The last two officers involved in the June 2022 arrest of a Connecticut man that left him paralyzed from the chest down were fired Wednesday.
Officers Betsy Segui and Oscar Diaz lost their jobs after a board of police commissioners meeting. NBC Connecticut reported.
They were one of five New Haven officers involved in the arrest of Randy Cox, 36, on gun charges.
Cox was handcuffed and improperly tied in the back of the police van. When the driver braked suddenly, he was thrown forward, breaking his neck and leaving him paralyzed from the chest down.
Earlier this month, he was awarded a $45 million settlement by the city of New Haven and two of the officers involved were fired.
One had already retired.
The last two lost their jobs on Wednesday.
Officers Betsy Segui and Oscar Diaz (top left and center left) lost their jobs on Wednesday. Diaz drove the van. Officers Ronald Pressley (bottom left), Jocelyn Lavandier (top right) and Luis Rivera (bottom right) were working in the detention area. The five have been charged with second-degree reckless endangerment and cruelty to persons. They pleaded not guilty
New Haven, Connecticut, agreed to pay Randy Cox, 36, (pictured) $45 million after he was paralyzed while being transported to jail
Cox can be seen on police CCTV footage on the day of his arrest
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.
Police Chief Karl Jacobson had previously recommended that the four officers be fired following an internal affairs investigation.
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said the firing of the last two officers was justified.
“The votes of the Board of Police Commissioners tonight and earlier this month to fire these officers are important and necessary steps to ensure accountability for the mistreatment of Randy Cox while he was in their custody and care,” he said. he.
“From day one, we promised accountability, transparency and action.
While nothing can ever return Randy’s life to the way it was prior to this incident, with the police disciplinary process now complete, the civil lawsuit now resolved, and the extensive set of reforms now passed by the police, we clearly and unequivocally demonstrated as a community that Randy’s life matters, that Black Lives Matter and that we are determined to do everything we can to make sure an incident like this never happens again.”
Elicker said progress was being made in reforming the city.
“This hasn’t been an easy process, but it was necessary — and we’re a stronger city now than before because of the conversation we’ve had and the actions we’ve taken as a community,” he said.
Cox has undergone multiple surgeries since his arrest in June 2022
The case provoked outrage among civil rights advocates such as the NAACP
All five officers, including those who were fired, face criminal charges in the case.
They 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 to a national police barracks in November 2022.
Each was processed and posted $25,000 bail.
In September 2022, 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.
Police video shows Cox begging for help after being injured.
‘I can not move. I’m about to die,” Cox said.
“Please, please, please help me.”
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.
“The city’s mistakes are well documented,” Cox attorneys Ben Crump, Louis Rubano and RJ Weber said after the settlement was agreed.
“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.”