Richard “Randy” Cox, a man left paralyzed after being injured in a police vehicle, has had all his charges dropped, according to NBC Connecticut. His attorney, civil rights giant Benjamin Crump, said this was a step in the right direction but there’s more to be done to address the officers’ display of racial bias during the incident.
Cox faced five weapons charges including carrying a pistol without a permit, criminal possession of a firearm, second-degree breach of peace, first-degree threatening and second-degree threatening, per the Hartford Courant. Officers arrested Cox in June, handcuffed him and placed him in the back of a police van without a seatbelt. He was thrown head-first toward the wall of the police van when the driver hit the breaks, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.
His family previously told reporters Cox was placed on breathing and feeding tubes. Allowing Cox to be tried and sentenced while barely able to move or speak would be like how officers handcuffed Billie Holiday on her deathbed. Clearly, Cox cannot pose any threat to society while quadriplegic. The New Haven Superior Court Clerk’s Office announced all five of Cox’s charges have been dropped.
Cox’s legal attorney, Ben Crump released a statement in response to the announcement urging there to be legal consequences for the officers who were involved in Cox’s nearly fatal accident.
Read his statement below:
“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.”