Paralysed while being transported in the rear of a police van, Randy Cox, 36, received a $45 million settlement from the city of New Haven, Connecticut.
The incident occurred on June 19, 2022, when Cox’s wrists were handcuffed behind his back, and there were no seatbelts in the van. He sustained a spinal injury that left him paralysed from the chest down when the police van braked hard to avoid a collision with another vehicle that pulled out from a side street, causing Cox to fly head-first into the metal divider between the driver’s section and the prisoners’ area.
Mistakes by the city of New Haven in Connecticut, according to Cox’s attorneys, “have been well documented.”
The settlement is the largest ever in a police misconduct case.
New Haven’s Mayor Justin Elicker said in a statement, “The New Haven Police Department has instituted a comprehensive set of reforms, updated its policies and procedures on the transfer of people in custody, and required department-wide training on duty to intervene. The officers involved are being held accountable by the police department and in court.”
According to CBS, New Haven’s insurance will cover thirty million of the total settlement, and the city will be responsible for the remaining amount.
Cox is Black, while all five arrested officers are Black or Hispanic.
Five officers, including Lavandier and Rivera, were indicted for allegedly mercilessly mistreating and neglecting Cox.
Criminal cases continue to be pending, and all five officers have been terminated.
The case of Cox illuminates the issue of police brutality and the need for police reform. The incident also highlights the significance of seat belts in police vehicles and the need for police officers to receive adequate training to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Rebel HQ contributor, Rayyvana said in the video below that the way the settlement is being disbursed is not the right way to do it and the settlement itself is not enough.
“There’s a concept in law called ‘being made whole, and that’s what damages are supposed to do; they are supposed to make the person whole.
“$45 million isn’t enough; there’s no amount of money that can make this victim whole.”
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