Transcription
In Connecticut, that guy in the back of the police van just broke his spine. The officer did not strap him in, drove faster than the speed limit, and then slammed on the brakes. You felt the police officer stopped and verbally checked on the man. "36-year-old Randy Cox, I fall, I cannot move my arms." "All right, do not move. I can see moving you on no, okay, we're going here. I keep all right, hold on, hold on."
So, but then the officer kept driving without providing any assistance. Cox was under arrest for a weapons charge, 171. A few minutes later, at the New Haven Detention Center, officers refused to believe Cox when he said he could not move. "Come on, or we're gonna pull you out. Slide that woman." Eventually, they dragged him out by his feet. "Now, almost there, you're almost there, you gotta get your shoulders out. Ready? One, two, three. Stand up. There we go. All right, yeah, how are you making up? Ready?"
The police did place Mr. Cox in a wheelchair, but they repeatedly taunted him for not getting up. "I can't feel. Upset? Oh my God, yo." The driver of the van did not explain to the other police officers what in fact had happened. "Um, pick up your feet. Oh, oh my gosh, yeah." Cox was then put in a holding cell for 15 minutes until paramedics finally arrived. [Applause]
The June 2022 police interaction left Cox with permanent paralysis below his neck, contusion, scarring, and a compromised immune system. Cox and his family have now filed a $100 million lawsuit against the City of New Haven and five police officers. The suit accuses the officers of negligence, carelessness, and excessive force, and violating Cox's constitutional rights.
All of this began in the early evening of June 19th at 8:04 PM on Lilac Street. Cox is arrested on criminal possession of a firearm, possessing a gun without a permit, and breach of peace.
Police transport van without seatbelt. Watch ahead. All right, yo. While driving, the officer uses his cell phone, which is against Connecticut state law. Then, at 8:36 PM, Officer Oscar Diaz stops the vehicle abruptly while driving 36 in a 25-mile-per-hour zone, and Cox is slammed headfirst into the van's wall.
"You felt. All right, hold on. What happened? What, what happened? Can you move at all?" "I can't move." "Well, how's your leg? Is all the way up there? I understand."
A few minutes later, at the police station, officers asked Mr. Cox to get up while still wearing handcuffs. Then, one officer realizes that Mr. Cox is not a threat and says it's okay to remove the cuffs. Still, there is no sympathy or even any basic humanity anymore. "Take them out."
Ready. Medical experts say that when someone has a damaged or broken neck or spine, dragging that person by their legs and then trying to prop them up can cause even more damage. In other words, a jury could reasonably conclude the New Haven police officers are liable, not just for the abrupt stop while Mr. Cox was in the back of the van, but also for the way in which officers handled or mishandled him when he was taken to the police station.
Doreen Colvin, Cox's mother, says she wants justice for her son because he can no longer do anything for himself. She points out that her son has been in and out of the hospital since his injuries. The mayor of New Haven, Connecticut, Justin Elicker, says that he and other city officials have begun reviewing the 29-page lawsuit. The mayor says he has directed authorities to work as expeditiously as possible to ensure an appropriate outcome. The mayor has hinted he prefers a settlement rather than a civil trial. Legal experts say that's wise, noting that this lawsuit is exceptionally strong.
In the meantime, the city has now begun new training requirements that officers place seat belts in police vehicles and monitor the physical well-being of people being transported. However, as for the officers who literally broke a man's spine and paralyzed him while in police custody, these officers remain employed by the New Haven, Connecticut Police Department. I'm David Schuster, thanks for joining us.