A search for justice in New Haven police case
The arrests of five New Haven police officers over an incident that left a man paralyzed in June demonstrates an important principle, which is that everyone is subject to the law, including those tasked with enforcing it. If police officers are not held to account for their misdeeds, there is no hope for justice for anyone else.
The legal system will determine whether those officers will be found guilty. They are granted a presumption of innocence, just as would be expected for anyone else. But there was no guarantee that they would even face charges, even given what is known about the case. It’s an important step that will help ensure accountability.
The facts as we know them are troubling already. Richard “Randy” Cox of New Haven was arrested without incident on June 19, and as he was being transported to the police station, the driver of the van slammed on the brakes. Cox was sent headfirst into the wall of the van, which injured his neck and spine.
Officers then accused Cox of faking his injuries, repeatedly telling him to get up. He was pulled out of the van, placed in a wheelchair and dragged into a cell.
It was shockingly callous behavior that has rightfully attracted national attention.
The five New Haven police officers, Jocelyn Lavandier, Oscar Diaz, Ronald Pressley, Luis Rivera and Sgt. Betsy Segui, were arrested by state police Monday morning. They have been on paid administrative leave since June 21, two days after the incident. Each is charged with one misdemeanor count of second-degree reckless endangerment and one misdemeanor count of “cruelty to persons.”
Members of Cox’s family said the charges were far too light. They wanted to see the officers charged with felonies, and given the nature of Cox’s injuries and the disregard shown for his well-being, their outrage is understandable.
What’s important now is to is to let the situation play out through the legal system. A separate city internal affairs investigation will begin now that charges have been filed, and a lawsuit seeking damages from the city has also been filed, so this is far from the end of the story.
It’s important to see the case in historical context. For far too long, such an incident would have been kept under wraps altogether or, if it was investigated, led to exoneration without charges for any officers involved. The fact that there will be criminal proceedings, even if it’s not of the nature the family might have wanted, is important.
As Cox himself said in a letter his sister read at a news conference this week, “It’s only an arrest but it’s a start.”
Ensuring accountability is vital to better relations between police and the people they serve. When laws are broken, everyone must be held to account. Impunity only adds to mistrust. If fraught community relations are ever going to be restored, it must mean that everyone is held to the same standard.
As Mayor Justin Elicker said in a statement, “The final verdict will be appropriately decided through the criminal justice system.”