NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Randy Cox, the New Haven man who was left paralyzed while in police custody, is no longer facing the charges he was initially arrested for, according to the State Judicial System.
Cox, 36, was arrested and was previously facing charges for carrying a firearm without a permit, criminal possession of a firearm, threatening, and two misdemeanors. Those charges were dropped Wednesday, the State Judicial System confirmed to FOX61.
Notable civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing Cox's family, released a statement Wednesday, saying,
“When watching the video of the incident that left Randy Cox paralyzed, anyone can discern that these officers had preconceived notions about Randy and his character. The officers did not believe Randy when he said he couldn’t move after being thrown against the wall of a van, and accused him of drinking too much. The New Haven Police Department handled this incident horrifically from start to finish and now they must answer for their conduct. The decision to drop the charges against Randy was absolutely the right one, considering how gravely he was injured while in police custody and how obviously these officers had biases against him.”
Crump and Cox's family filed a $100 million lawsuit against the city of New Haven last month.
Cox was injured in a New Haven police transport van after his arrest on June 19. There were no seatbelts; only hand straps. The van braked suddenly to avoid a crash, which caused Cox's head to hit the back of the van.
A few minutes later, Officer Oscar Diaz, who was driving, stopped the van to check on Cox, who was lying on the floor motionless. The officer called paramedics but told them to meet him at the police station.
At the station, officers dragged Cox out of the van by his feet and put him in a wheelchair, video shows. Police then booked Cox, took him out of the wheelchair and dragged him into a cell, where he was left on the floor, previously released video shows.
Paramedics arrived minutes later and took Cox to a hospital, officials said.
All officers involved in the handling of Cox have since been put on leave amid the investigation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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