Transcription
Jan and Ben, both of these officers have been suspended since last year and New Haven Police chief did call for them to be fired. What happened tonight was the Board of Police Commissioners approved chief's recommendation. The New Haven Board of Police Commissioners voting to fire Betsy Saggy and Oscar Diaz from the Police Department. We have gone through a very, very long process to get to this point where the last two officers were fired. It's a big deal, it's an important deal.
Both officers are facing charges for their alleged role in the incident involving Randy Cox just over a year ago. The 36-year-old New Haven man was paralyzed from the chest down while in the back of a police van when he went into the van. And after that ride, he could not walk. Police say Diaz was behind the wheel and slammed on the brakes to avoid another car. Cox, who was handcuffed in the van with no seat belt, was sent head first into the back of the van when it happened. Police say Segue was the supervisor on scene at the detention center.
Both Saggy and Diaz are charged with reckless endangerment and negligent cruelty to persons for the incident. The behavior of these officers are not indicative of what the New Haven Police Department is about and the treatment of Mr. Cox was appalling. Two other officers, Jocelyn Lavandier and Luis Rivera, were fired earlier this month. The fifth officer, Ronald Presley, retired, meaning all of the officers involved are officially no longer with the department.
Officials say they hope this will allow for healing in the community. We want to make sure that we don't forget what happened, that we understand the consequences when officers make the wrong decisions. Earlier this month, the city of New Haven agreed to a $45 million settlement in the lawsuit filed by The Cox Family. Live in New Haven, Gabby Molina, Fox 61 Connecticut news station.