Richard “Randy” Cox, 36, was paralyzed while he was taken into police custody in Connecticut on June 19, People reports. Video footage of the incident shows the five officers who were involved and are now on administrative leave.

Cox was put into a van by New Haven police after officers received a weapons complaint at a block party the 36-year-old was attending. At the time, officers said he was in possession of an illegal firearm and was taken into custody, CBS News reports.

 

Cox’s lawyer, Ben Crump, shared footage of the incident which shows him being roughly handled. Crump wrote in a tweet that “we literally witness his neck break.” The video also shows Cox being “put in the police van without seat belts and, after an abrupt stop, was thrown into the wall HEAD FIRST.”

“As he was STILL lying on the van floor, he told the officers that he couldn’t move. What did they do?” Crump asked.

 

According to People, officers are shown ordering Cox to “move your leg” and “sit up.” He tells them that he “can’t move” before an officer responds, “you’re not even trying.” He’s then dragged out of the van feet first and thrown into a wheelchair. One officer accused him of being drunk.

The video also shows an officer saying Cox was “perfectly fine.”

On June 23, New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker issued a statement that said the incident resulted in Cox suffering “serious injury to his neck and spine.”

“Upon learning of Mr. Cox’s injury, the officer made a call for medical assistance and proceeded to drive Mr. Cox to the detention center,” he stated in the letter. “Mr. Cox made his injury known to other officers upon arrival at the detention facility. The officers involved proceeded to put Mr. Cox in detention — first attempting to do so by wheelchair and then physically moving him to detention.”

He continued, saying that after that, “American Medical Response transported Mr. Cox to Yale New Haven Hospital where he underwent surgery. Sadly, Mr. Cox’s injury may result in his paralysis and he remains in critical condition.”

Elicker’s statement identified the five officers involved who have been placed on administrative leave “until the Connecticut State Police completes their investigation and the City conducts its Internal Affairs investigation.”

 

Latoya Boomer, Cox’s sister, said the incident “made me sick to my stomach, to treat somebody like that,” CBS News reports.

“At what point in time do you believe someone that’s saying, ‘I think my neck is broken?'” she said.

 

According to CBS Mornings, during a press conference held on Tuesday, New Haven Assistant Police Chief Karl Jacobson expressed disappointment in how Cox was treated.

“Mr. Cox was mistreated,” he said. “He should’ve received medical attention immediately. We can’t defend anything that was released.”

According to CNN, Boomer says her brother is now depending on breathing and feeding tubes.

Of his prognosis, Cox’s attorney Jack O’Donnell says doctors are “hopeful, but not optimistic” that he will make a full recovery, The New York Times reports. Cox is scheduled to appear in court on July 21.

ConnecticutPolice brutality