National civil rights lawyer takes Cox case
NEW HAVEN — The family of Richard “Randy” Cox, the 36-year-old who is believed to have been paralyzed during transport by New Haven police, and civil rights attorney Ben Crump will speak Tuesday during a news conference outside Superior Court on Elm Street.
Crump was part of the legal team that secured a $27 million settlement for the family of George Floyd, who was killed during an encounter with Minneapolis police in May 2020, sparking nationwide protests.
The press conference, at which Cox’s family will be present, will be held at 11 a.m. outside the courthouse at 121 Elm St. The NAACP is planning a community meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Stetson Branch Library, located in the Q House, 197 Dixwell Ave. Crump will be present there, as well.
Five New Haven officers have been placed on paid administrative leave after Cox was injured following his arrest for allegedly possessing a gun at a block party June 18. State police are conducting an investigation.
Cox was unsecured in a police transport van when the officer driving stopped abruptly, causing him to be thrown and injured, according to city accounts and Crump, who recently joined the family’s legal team with co-counsel Jack O’Donnell.
Police videos show Cox slamming his head into the front wall of the van and then crying for help and saying he couldn’t move. He was driven to police headquarters, taken from the van and brought to a cell in a wheelchair, which Mayor Justin Elicker has said violated police procedures.
“Randy’s quality of life will forever be diminished by the irresponsible actions of Oscar Diaz and the other New Haven police officers while he was under their custody,” Crump said Monday in a statement.
“Law enforcement respecting every life they interact with and are responsible for is imperative to building trust with communities they serve, especially communities of color,” he said. “As Randy Cox continues to fight for his life and future, we will fight for justice for him, his family and the New Haven community.”
O’Donnell, who said he has been Cox’s attorney for several years, said “one arm is paralyzed. The other has very minimal use.”
“He can’t talk because he’s on a breathing tube and he’s intubated, so we communicated by eye blinks and head nods,” O’Donnell said.
Videos released last week by New Haven police showed Cox being pulled out of a transport van by his feet, after he apparently was paralyzed during the ride to the police station. The incident has resulted in five members of the department being placed on paid administrative leave while the state police conduct an investigation.