In a written statement from the City of New Haven, it was stated that an agreement was reached to pay $45 million in compensation to Cox, 36, who was detained and put in a police van and paralyzed in a moving vehicle due to not wearing a seat belt.
The settlement between the municipality and Cox’s lawyers was announced two days after the decision to dismiss the two police officers who paralyzed Cox in the incident in question.
“What happened to Randy Cox was unacceptable,” said New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker, noting the need for police to ensure the safety of detainees.
The highest compensation determined in the USA
Elicker said that the $45 million price was the highest compensation figure determined in the United States in this area.
Randy Cox, who was detained on June 19, 2022 for an offense related to the use of an unlicensed weapon, was handcuffed, not fastened with his seat belt, and was paralyzed by slamming his head on the vehicle’s door upon the sudden stop of the moving police van.
Cox’s lawyers filed a $100 million lawsuit in September 2022 against the city of New Haven and the police department, where the police involved were affiliated.