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Randy Cox's attorneys demand federal charges against New Haven cops

Cox's mother, two sisters and civil rights attorney Ben Crump spoke in New Haven Friday, arguing that Cox's constitutional rights were violated.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The attorneys for Randy Cox, the New Haven man paralyzed nearly three weeks ago, while in the custody of the New Haven Police Department, are making a new demand as they seek justice for the 36-year-old.

"This man can't eat, he can't sleep, he can't talk, he can't breathe, he can't do anything at all but cry," said Laquavius Grant, one of Cox's sisters.

With Randy Cox's family feeling frustrated, their attorneys met with Vanessa Roberts Avery, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut today, demanding federal civil rights charges be brought against the five New Haven officers now on leave.

RELATED: New Haven police prisoner transport policies changed after man paralyzed in police van

"They violated his rights under the fourth amendment, on the eighth amendment and the 14th amendment," said attorney Ben Crump, who's part of the Cox legal team.

Crump claims there was deliberate indifference to Cox's medical condition based on him being heard saying on body camera footage multiple times, that he couldn't move and thought he broke his neck.

"The eighth amendment talks about it is prohibited to inflict cruel and unusual punishment on a pretrial detainees or post-arrest detainee," Crump added.

Cox's family and attorneys are pleased that New Haven Police Department policies pertaining to prisoner transport have been revised, but "You shouldn't need a written policy for that," said Cox attorney R.J. Weber. "That should be inherent in someone's heart, inherent in someone's character to take care of somebody who's clearly injured."

"It's about the people that we recruit to work in our police department," said Mayor Justin Elicker (D-New Haven). "It's about the culture that we foster within the police department, and it is about holding those officers that don't align with those values accountable."

While Randy Cox's family's hearts hurt, because he can't really communicate with them, one of his sisters said her heart was warmed on Wednesday.

While Randy's family remains furious with how he was handled after being rendered paralyzed in one of their police vans, they were appreciative that the mayor and new police chief visited Randy in his hospital room Wednesday.

"Sometimes there's people that don't wanna show up or they pretend but they seemed serious," said Latoya Boomer, Randy Cox's Sister. "You could see the compassion on their faces."

Boomer said she felt it was important that they saw Randy in person.

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"Instead of you know maybe seeing a picture or hearing stories from us. They got to see themselves trying to communicate with him," said Boomer.

"Chief Jacobson said yesterday it was very emotional seeing Cox in the hospital.

"He looked like he was gonna cry," Boomer said.

Cox's mother, who said she misses him running errands for her, asks everyone to please keep praying for a miracle.

RELATED: State lawmakers consider prisoner transport changes in wake of Richard Cox incident

"We still want people to call, text, send cards and things like that but give him time to heal and understand we are here for him and we are going to help him get himself together," said Doreen Coleman, Cox's mother.

She said she looks for little signs of hope every day and tells her son all the time to be positive because there's no time for the negative.

Tony Terzi is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at tterzi@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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