Connecticut police officers plead not guilty after suspect paralyzed

Jan. 11 (UPI) -- Five Connecticut police officers pleaded not guilty Wednesday morning to their roles in connection to the paralysis of a Black man while in their custody.

Lawyers for the four current and one newly retired officers entered the pleas in Judicial District Superior Court in New Haven, Conn.

The five face misdemeanor charges stemming from the incident that left Richard ​"Randy" Cox paralyzed while in police custody.

New Haven Police Department Officer Luis Rivera, Officer Jocelyn Lavandier, Officer Ronald Pressley, Sgt. Betsy Segui and Officer Oscar Diaz each pleaded not guilty to one count of second-degree reckless endangerment and one count of​ cruelty to persons.

Cox, 36, was arrested on June 19 on accusations of illegal possession of a handgun and other charges. While being transported to prison in the back of a police van that lacked seatbelts, a handcuffed Cox suffered serious spine and neck injuries when he was thrown headfirst into the metal partition inside the vehicle as a result of the driver making a sudden stop.

Diaz was driving the van that day and applied the brakes sharply to avoid crashing into another vehicle, according to court filings.

After announcing his injuries on arrival at the detention facility, the officers first attempted to move him via wheelchair before dragging him into the building.

Video of the incident shows the seemingly exasperated officers roughly handle the injured Cox while making remarks that their detainee was being difficult by resisting to move. Near the end of the recording, one of the officers states they saw Cox blow a kiss as he was being dragged by his arms into a cell.

Cox filed a $100 million lawsuit against the city and the five police officers in September, which was followed the next month by the charges against him being dropped.

All five officers have been on administrative leave since the incident, while Pressley officially retired Saturday.

The five voluntarily surrendered to the Connecticut State Police and posted a $25,000 bond.

They are scheduled return to court on Feb. 23 for the next pre-trial hearing.