Randy Cox, paralyzed in police van, reaches $45 million settlement with New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut has agreed to pay $45 million to Randy Cox, who was left paralyzed after being transported without a seat belt in the back of a police van following his arrest last year. The settlement was reached on Friday evening after a daylong conference with a federal magistrate judge. The agreement came just two days after the city fired two police officers who had treated Cox recklessly and without compassion. A statement from attorneys representing Cox said “the city’s mistakes have been well documented, but today is a moment to look to the future, so New Haven residents can have confidence in their city and their police department.”
Cox was arrested on charges of threatening a woman with a gun which were later dismissed. On his journey to the police station, the van he was travelling in braked hard, sending him head-first into a metal partition while his hands were handcuffed behind his back. After the collision, Cox was left paralyzed from the chest down. According to police video, he is captured saying, “I can’t move. I’m going to die like this. Please, please, please help me.” Once at the police station, officers mocked Cox and accused him of being drunk and faking his injuries, according to surveillance and body-worn camera footage. Officers dragged Cox by his feet out of the van and placed him in a holding cell prior to his eventual transfer to a hospital. Five officers, including those who were fired, face criminal charges in the case and all have pleaded not guilty. Cox last year sued the officers and the city for $100 million. His attorneys called the settlement the largest ever in a police misconduct case.
The settlement is thought to be the largest ever in a police misconduct case, and brings an end to a torturous case that has been playing out for over a year. The case drew outrage from civil rights advocates, along with comparisons to the Freddie Gray case in Baltimore. Cox is black, while all five officers who were arrested are black or Hispanic. Gray, who also was black, died in 2015 after he suffered a spinal injury while handcuffed and shackled in a city police van. New Haven police have since adopted reforms that include making sure all prisoners wear seat belts. The state Senate on June 5 gave final approval to legislation that would require seat belts for all prisoners being transported.
The Mayor of New Haven, Justin Elicker, spoke about the settlement at a news conference saying that “Randy entered a police transport vehicle being able to walk, and now he’s not able to walk.” He promised that the settlement would bring Cox support and medical care, to ensure he has the best possible outcome. Cox did not make any public comments during the weekend after the agreement had been reached, but his attorney, Rubano, stated that he was very emotional as he had to relive what happened to him throughout the day.
FAQs
What happened to Randy Cox?
Randy Cox was left paralyzed from the chest down after being transported in a police van without a seat belt. The van braked hard, sending him head-first into a metal partition while his hands were handcuffed behind his back. Cox had been arrested on charges of threatening a woman with a gun, which were later dismissed.
What was the settlement agreement?
New Haven, Connecticut, has agreed to pay $45 million to Randy Cox, who was left paralyzed after being transported without a seat belt in the back of a police van following his arrest last year.
How many police officers were charged?
Five officers, including those who were fired, face criminal charges in the case. All have pleaded not guilty.
What is the Freddie Gray case?
The Freddie Gray case is a 2015 incident in which Gray, a black man, died after he suffered a spinal injury while handcuffed and shackled in a city police van in Baltimore. The case drew national attention and sparked civil unrest. Cox’s case has drawn comparisons to the Gray case.
What is the impact of the settlement?
The settlement is thought to be the largest ever in a police misconduct case. The case has prompted the New Haven police to adopt reforms that include making sure all prisoners wear seat belts. The state Senate on June 5 gave final approval to legislation that would require seat belts for all prisoners being transported.
New Haven, Connecticut agrees to $45 million settlement with Randy Cox, paralyzed in police van.
New Haven, Connecticut has reached a $45 million settlement with Randy Cox, who was left paralyzed from the chest down after being transported handcuffed and without a seat belt in the back of a police van following his arrest last year. The agreement came two days after the city fired two police officers who allegedly treated Cox recklessly and without compassion. Following a daylong conference with a federal magistrate judge, the settlement was finalized on Friday evening. “The city’s mistakes have been well documented”, a statement from Cox’s attorneys said. “But today is a moment to look to the future, so New Haven residents can have confidence in their city and their police department.”
Cox had been arrested on charges of threatening a woman with a gun, which were later dismissed. On June 19, 2022, the police van he was riding in braked hard, sending him head-first into a metal partition while his hands were cuffed behind his back. “I can’t move. I’m going to die like this. Please, please, please help me,” Cox said minutes after the crash, according to police video. Cox was then dragged by his feet out of the van and placed in a holding cell prior to his eventual transfer to a hospital. Officers at the police station mocked Cox and accused him of being drunk and faking his injuries, according to surveillance and body-worn camera footage. Five officers, including those who were fired, face criminal charges in the case and have all pleaded not guilty.
Cox last year sued the officers and the city for $100 million. His attorneys claim that the settlement is the largest ever in a police misconduct case. Cox did not make any public comments over the weekend, according to his attorneys. “He kind of relived what happened to him throughout the day yesterday, so it was a very emotional day,” said Louis Rubano over the phone. “He’s unwinding now.”
The case drew outrage from civil rights advocates like the NAACP, along with comparisons to the Freddie Gray case in Baltimore. Cox is black, while all five officers who were arrested are black or Hispanic. Gray, who was also black, died in 2015 after he suffered a spinal injury while handcuffed and shackled in a police van. New Haven police have since adopted reforms that include making sure all prisoners wear seat belts. The state Senate on June 5th gave final approval to legislation that would require seat belts for all prisoners being transported.
“Randy entered a police transport vehicle being able to walk, and now he’s not able to walk,” said Mayor Justin Elicker at a news conference Saturday. “What I shared with [Cox’s] mother is that while this settlement cannot bring Randy back to his original state when he entered that police transport vehicle, that my hope is that it provides Randy the future medical support and other support that he will need. Randy’s 36 years old, and we hope he has a long life ahead of him with the kind of support and care that he deserves.”