Nora Grace-Flood file photo
Luis Rivera, a now-ex officer who was fired by the police commission on Wednesday, along with Jocelyn Lavandier.
One year after Richard “Randy” Cox suffered paralyzing injuries while in police custody, city police commissioners voted to fire two of the officers involved in the arrestee’s mishandling — with plans in place to vote on firing two more officers later this month.
That was the upshot of Wednesday night’s special meeting of the Board of Police Commissioners, which took place online via Zoom.
With 65 people in attendance, the commissioners voted to fire Officer Jocelyn Lavandier and Officer Luis Rivera for their roles in the June 19, 2022, incident that left Cox paralyzed from the shoulders down.
Police Commission Chair Evelise Ribeiro ...
... at Wednesday's special police commission meeting on Zoom.
In each vote on Wednesday, four commissioners voted yes and two abstained.
The abstentions likely stemmed from not every commissioner being present at previous executive session board meetings where Police Chief Karl Jacobson made his case for why these officers should be fired, Commission Chair Evelise Ribeiro and fellow Commissioner Mike Lawlor explained on Wednesday at the end of the 10-minute public meeting.
“For the record, we did have hearings earlier on the two officers, and not every member was present, and they may have chosen to abstain this evening” for that reason, Ribeiro said.
The commissioners also voted to table taking any action on the chief’s recommendations to fire two more officers involved in Cox’s mishandling, Sgt. Betsy Segui and Officer Oscar Diaz, until June 28, because those officers’ lawyer was not able to be present at Wednesday’s meeting.
NHPD image
Ofc. Diaz, Sgt. Segui, and Ofc. Pressley lifting Cox into wheelchair on June 19, 2022.
The termination votes took place as criminal cases against Rivera, Lavandier, Segui, Diaz, and the now-retired ex-city police officer Ronald Pressley continue to make their way through state court. Each has been arrested and charged with one misdemeanor count of second-degree reckless endangerment and one misdemeanor count of“cruelty to persons” for their roles in Cox’s mishandling. All five arrested cops have pleaded not guilty to those charges.
Click here to read a previous article about why Jacobson moved to fire Segui, Diaz, Lavandier, and Rivera from their jobs with the New Haven Police Department after an Internal Affairs investigation found that all of the involved officers violated a number of department general orders, including rules of conduct that require city cops to be law abiding and work with integrity, trustworthiness, courtesy, and respect. Click here to read how these officers defended their actions in interviews with IA, including by claiming they thought Cox was drunk, intentionally noncompliant, or otherwise faking his injuries.
“What happened to Randy Cox was unacceptable and the Board of Police Commissioners’ vote to accept Chief Jacobson’s recommendations to terminate these officers was the right one,” Mayor Justin Elicker said in an email statement sent out after Wednesday’s vote.
“When an individual enters the custody of the New Haven Police Department, there is an obligation to treat them with dignity and respect and in a manner that ensures their safety and well-being. In my judgement, the actions of these officers fell far short of that obligation, and they do not reflect the high standards to which I know our police officers hold themselves to everyday as they put their lives on the line to protect and serve our residents and keep our community safe.”
Asked for comment after Wednesday’s vote, Stephen McEleney, an attorney representing both Rivera and Lavandier in the police commission termination proceedings, wrote by email, “Elm City Local intends to have these terminations decided by an independent arbitrator rather than encourage further pillorying of these dedicated officers in the media.”
Key moments of the police arrest, transport, and detention of Richard Cox.
Wednesday’s votes comes roughly a year after police arrested Cox on weapons charges without incident at a Lilac Street block party on June 19, 2022. En route to the police station, Officer Diaz, the driver of a prisoner conveyance van, slammed on the brakes to avoid crashing into another vehicle at the intersection of Division and Mansfield Streets. That abrupt stop sent Cox flying head first into the wall of the van, injuring his neck and spine. The driver of the van later called for medical help but, instead of asking for an ambulance to come to the scene, the driver proceeded to take Cox to the detention center at 1 Union Ave. There, rather than waiting for a medical crew to attend to Cox’s crumpled and paralyzed body, officers at the police lock-up accused Cox of lying, demanded he stand up, pulled him out of the van, placed him in a wheelchair, then dragged him across the floor into a cell. The case sparked national outrage.
Cox’s family, represented by national civil rights attorney Ben Crump, subsequently filed a $100 million civil lawsuit against the city, the police department, and the involved officers seeking damages for the officers’ alleged violations of Cox’s civil rights. That case continues to make its way through federal court. The incident led the city to upgrade its transportation policies and implement department-wide training on“active bystandership” and deescalation in hopes of avoiding a similar future incident.
Only $100 million.....if you think it too much why don't you take Mr. Cox's place and settle for less.