2 Conn. Police Officers Fired Over Arrest That Left a Black Man Paralyzed

Two Connecticut police officers have been terminated in connection with their involvement in the arrest of a Black man that left him paralyzed.

The New Haven Board of Police Commissioners voted to fire Oscar Diaz and Betsy Segui, who were previously charged for their involvement in the arrest of Richard “Randy” Cox, a man paralyzed while in police custody.

The decision was made during a scheduled commission meeting on Wednesday evening, the outlet said.

Diaz and Segui were two of five officers charged with reckless endangerment and cruelty to persons for the incident, according to the New Haven district attorney. They both pleaded not guilty.

“Sergeant Segui fully expected this result,” Segui’s lawyer Gregory Cerritelli said in a statement to PEOPLE. “The city of New Haven, and it’s leadership have no appreciation for the very difficult job these police officers do- a job that is made increasingly more difficult when the rank-and-file lack support from the city leaders and their own command staff.”

“What happened to Mr. Cox is indeed a very unfortunate incident,” he continued, “but it is a much larger issue in the NHPD which involves inadequate equipment and a lack of training.”

Cox’s attorney and the New Haven Police Department didn’t immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.

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Cox was put into a police van by New Haven Police Department officers on June 19, 2022. According to CBS News, as a result of a weapons complaint, officers arrived on the scene of a block party and arrested Cox, who they say is an ex-felon and possessed a firearm illegally.

In footage shared to Twitter by Cox’s lawyer Ben Crump, Cox, who was handcuffed and not wearing a seatbelt, can be seen sliding forcefully into a side of the van, head first, after the vehicle seemingly comes to a sudden stop. The driver stops to check on Cox and calls an ambulance, then continues to the detention center.

Officers are seen telling Cox, “Move your leg. Sit up” as he tells them, “I can’t move” and one officer responds, “You’re not even trying.” Officers eventually drag him out of the van feet first and put him in a wheelchair, after one officer tells him, “You just drank too much.”

After processing him while in the wheelchair, two officers are shown dragging Cox into a holding cell. At one point, one officer is heard saying of Cox, “He’s perfectly fine.”

In November 2022, New Haven State’s Attorney announced that five New Haven police officers had been arrested and charged following an investigation into the injuries sustained by Cox.

In March, New Haven police chief Karl Jacobson recommended the termination of the officers involved in the Cox arrest.

“This department has gone through a lot since that incident, this community has gone through a lot,” Jacobson said at a press conference. “And the message to the community is that we … will be transparent and we will be accountable.”

“What happened to Randy Cox was unacceptable,” New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker said in a statement earlier this month. “When an individual enters police custody, there is an obligation to treat them with dignity and respect and in a manner that ensures their safety and well-being. That did not happen with Randy: he entered police custody being able to walk, and he left police custody paralyzed with his life and his health forever altered.”

The mayor continued: “From day one, Police Chief Jacobson and I have promised accountability, transparency and action for Randy, the Cox family and the New Haven community — and we committed to do everything in our power to ensure an incident like this never happens again.”

Cox sued the city of New Haven for $100 million, and a settlement of $45 million was announced earlier this month.