NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Two more New Haven officers were fired by the Board of Police Commissioners on Wednesday in a vote for their alleged involvement in the Richard "Randy" Cox incident in 2022.
Officers Oscar Diaz and Sergeant Betsy Segui were the two officers terminated in the special meeting. The vote was recommended by Police Chief Karl Jacobson.
On both motions, the Commissioners voted five in favor and zero opposed.
At its previous meeting on June 7, the Board also voted in favor of Chief Jacobson’s recommendations to terminate Officer Jocelyn Lavandier and Officer Luis Rivera.
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker released a statement following the decision.
“The votes by the Board of Police Commissioners this evening and earlier this month to terminate these officers are important and necessary steps towards ensuring accountability for the mistreatment of Randy Cox while he was in their custody and care
From day one, we promised accountability, transparency and action. While nothing can ever return Randy’s life to the way it was prior to this incident, with the police disciplinary process now complete, the civil lawsuit now resolved and the comprehensive set of reforms now adopted by the police department, we have demonstrated clearly and unequivocally as a community that Randy’s life matters, that Black Lives Matter and that we are resolved to do everything in our power to ensure an incident like this never happens again.
This has not been an easy process, but it has been a necessary one – and we are now a stronger city than we were before because of the conversation we’ve had and the actions we’ve taken as a community.
I want to thank Randy and his family for their patience as we worked through this difficult process together.”
Earlier in June, New Haven reached a settlement of $45 million with Randy Cox and his representation.
All of this stems from an incident in June of 2022 where Randy Cox was left paralyzed while being held in police custody in the back of a police van.
Officer Oscar Diaz drove the van carrying Cox, which stopped short, causing Cox's body to slam into the back of the van, leaving him paralyzed. Officers Jocelyn Lavandier, Luis Rivera, Ronald Pressley and Sgt. Betsy Segui was involved in handling Cox afterward, and are accused of mocking Cox and dragging him by his feet to a holding cell before he was eventually brought to the hospital.
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