2 Connecticut officers fired over treatment of man paralyzed in police van after 2022 arrest

By DAVE COLLINS
Associated Press
Two police officers in New Haven, Connecticut, have been fired for what authorities call their reckless actions and lack of compassion in handling prisoner Richard “Randy” Cox after he became paralyzed in the back of a police van last year. City police commissioners voted Wednesday evening to fire officers Jocelyn Lavandier and Luis Rivera. The two officers and three others also face criminal charges and have pleaded not guilty. Cox was injured when the police van braked suddenly to avoid an accident and he flew head-first into a metal partition. The van had no seat belts. Police commissioners plan to vote at a later date on whether to fire two other officers.