The final two officers involved in the June 2022 arrest of a Connecticut man who left him paralyzed from the chest down were fired Wednesday.
Officers Betsy Segui and Oscar Diaz lost their jobs after a police committee meeting, NBC Connecticut reported.
They were among five New Haven officers involved in the arrest of 36-year-old Randy Cox on gun charges.
Cox was handcuffed and strapped improperly to the back seat of the police car. When the driver suddenly braked, he was thrown forward, breaking his neck and becoming paralyzed from the chest down.
Earlier this month he was awarded $45 million in compensation by the city of New Haven and two of the officers involved were fired.
One was 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) worked in the detention area. The five people are accused of negligent endangerment and second-degree cruelty. They pleaded not guilty
New Haven, Connecticut, agreed to pay Randy Cox, 36, (pictured) $45 million after he became paralyzed while being transported to prison
Cox can be seen on police camera footage the day he was arrested
Cox was paralyzed from the chest down on June 19, 2022 when the police van he was riding in braked hard, throwing him headfirst into a metal partition while his hands were tied behind his back.
Police chief Karl Jacobson had previously recommended the four officers be fired after an internal 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 dismiss these officers are important and necessary steps to ensure accountability for the mistreatment of Randy Cox while he was in their care and custody,” he said.
“From day one, we promised accountability, transparency and action.
“While nothing can ever bring Randy’s life back to what it was before this incident, with the police disciplinary process now completed, the civil complaint now completed, and the sweeping reforms now passed by the police force, we have proved it in no uncertain terms.” As a community, we know that Randy’s life matters, that Black Lives Matter and that we are committed to doing everything in our power to ensure an incident like this never happens again.”
Elicker said progress was being made on reforming the city.
“It wasn’t an easy but necessary process — and because of the conversations we’ve had and the actions we’ve taken as a community, we’re a stronger city now than we were before,” he said.
Cox has had multiple surgeries since his arrest in June 2022
The case sparked outrage from civil rights activists such as the NAACP
All five officers, including those who were fired, face criminal charges in the case.
They were charged with negligent endangerment and second-degree cruelty to persons. They were put on 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 wheeled into a holding cell.
The officers presented themselves in November 2022 in a barracks of the state police.
Each was processed and $25,000 bail was posted.
In September 2022, Cox’s attorney 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 described the settlement as the largest ever in a police misconduct case.
Police video shows Cox begging for help after being injured.
“I can not move. “I’m going to die like this,” Cox said.
“Please, please, please help me.”
At the police station, officers taunted Cox, accusing him of being drunk and faking his injuries, surveillance cameras and body-worn camera footage revealed.
Officers dragged Cox out of the van by his feet and took him to a holding cell before eventually taking him to a hospital.
“The city’s mistakes are well documented,” Cox attorneys Ben Crump, Louis Rubano and RJ Weber said in a statement after the settlement was agreed.
“But today is the time to look to the future so New Haven residents can have confidence in their city and their police force.”