Nora Grace-Flood photo
Attorney Ben Crump (center) leads Friday's vigil.
Randy Cox’s family and legal team stepped up the pressure on the Elicker Administration to “act now” and do their part to help the paralyzed 36-year-old New Havener — a month after his attorneys filed a $100 million civil lawsuit against the city, and as the highest payout the city’s insurance companies could cover appears to be $30 million.
Cox’s advocates issued that plea Friday midday during a vigil and press conference held by the front steps of City Hall on Church Street.
During a responding press conference held by Mayor Justin Elicker, Corporation Counsel Patricia King, and Police Chef Karl Jacobson inside City Hall right afterwards, King said that the city is still waiting to hear how much its insurance companies might cover in this case. She also said that the maximum those insurance companies could pay is $30 million. (See below for more.)
Led by national civil rights attorney Ben Crump, national social justice organizer Tameka Mallory, state and local leaders of the NAACP, and Cox’s mom Doreen Coleman and sister Latoya Boomer, the group of advocates stood in front of several dozen school-aged children midday as they directed their critique towards the mayor and the police department.
Students fill the stairs to City Hall.
State NAACP President Scot X. Esdaile framed the event as a “Justice Delayed, Justice Denied” press conference for Randy Cox in the wake of his June 19 injury and paralysis while in police custody.
Friday’s event also took place more than a month after Cox’s legal team filed a civil lawsuit in federal court against the city and New Haven Police Officers Oscar Diaz, Ronald Pressley, Jocelyn Lavandier and Luis Rivera and Sgt. Betsy Segui seeking $100 million in damages for the cops’ alleged violations of the paralyzed 36-year-old New Havener’s constitutional rights.
“Mayor Elicker, we are calling on you to show face here,” Mallory said. She called on him to “do right by this family that was minding their business. This mother did not ask to be in the situation that she’s in, and nor did Randy Cox. … Their lives have been changed forever.”
Mallory said that some people will likely criticize the family for seeking $100 million from City Hall. “How would you take care of Randy Cox without resources?” Mallory asked in response. “Should we just allow him to die? No, we cannot. No, we cannot. If this city does not act and act quickly, this man’s life could be in further danger. And therefore the consistent blood will be on your hands. Mayor Elicker, what say you?”
Tameka Mallory: "This mother did not ask to be in the situation that she's in, and nor did Randy Cox."
Cox's sister Latoya Boomer put it: "Nobody would trade places with him for $100 million."
As Cox’s sister Latoya Boomer put it: “Nobody would trade places with him for $100 million.” Her brother has no feeling from the chest down and will likely never walk again. “He requires 24-hour care. And we need help.”
Cox’s mom said she visits her son every day. “It’s just wrong” what happened to him, Coleman said through tears. “I want you all to keep praying for him.”
Friday’s presser took place nearly five months after police arrested Cox on weapons charges without incident at a Lilac Street block party on June 19. En route to the police station, 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 has sparked national outrage.
Meanwhile, the five police officers involved in this incident remain on paid administrative leave as the state’s attorney’s office considers whether or not to arrest and prosecute the officers. In the wake of the incident, the city has also upgraded its transportation policies and department-wide training on“active bystandership” and deescalation in hopes of avoiding a similar future incident.
Crump was asked during Friday’s press conference about the mayor’s consistent stance that the administration needs to wait until state prosecutors decide whether or not to arrest the involved officers.
Crump replied that “they have the power to act when they want to act. It is completely within their power to do what they said they would do for Randy Cox.”
Corp Counsel King: $30M Max From Insurers
City Attorney Patricia King and Mayor Justin Elicker.
In a responding press conference held on the second floor of City Hall immediately after the midday vigil, Mayor Justin Elicker, standing alongside top city attorney Patricia King and Police Chief Karl Jacobson, called for “patience.”
“We want to do the right thing for Randy,” he said. “We all want justice for Randy. And we’re making a good faith effort to do.”
But, he said, “the city can’t just unilaterally decide something. … There is a process that we need to follow.”
For one, Elicker said, the city is still waiting to hear from the state’s attorney’s office about whether or not they will arrest and prosecute the officers involved. Elicker said he thought the city would have an answer from the state’s attorney’s office weeks ago.
“The state’s attorney has told us he’s not yet ready to make a decision on the actions his office will take” against these officers, Elicker said.
He and King also said that they are waiting to hear back from the city’s insurance companies. The city has “multiple policies to cover incidents potentially like this one,” Elicker said. “I have made clear that we want to expedite the process. We want to find the opportunity to settle.”
King said the city has already reported a claim to its insurance companies in regards to Cox’s case. “Now we’re waiting for the insurance companies to review the claims that have been made” and then issue what’s known as a reservation of right, or ROR, letter.
“Once we get the ROR letter from the insurance companies and we know what the claims are, we can start the engagement process,” she said. “We don’t have that yet.” That’s frustrating, she said, but it’s also “not in our control. We do hope to have it shortly.” Only after the insurance companies get back to the city will the city know how much they will cover.
Former Alder Shafiq Abdussabur, who attended Friday’s presser, asked the mayor and attorney King about the maximum amount the city’s insurance policies would cover.
King said there are three separate policies, and each could cover a maximum of $10 million. That means a maximum of $30 million could be paid by the insurance companies. If there’s any more owed on top of that, it would have to come directly from the city.
“We are doing everything we believe is possible to respond,” Elicker said on Friday. “That is on the policy front. That is on the legal front. That is on the accountability front.”
Not sure why the Mayor and Pat King seem to want to roll over on this one, but comparables are far less; Freddie Gray (who was killed by an intentional rough ride in Baltimore) was awarded $6.4M; Eric Garners family in NYC was awarded less. City Hall needs to be fair but not excessive.