Judge rejects New Haven officers bids to erase charges in case of man paralyzed in police custody NBC Connecticut [Video]

Four former Connecticut police officers arrested for allegedly mistreating a man who wound up paralyzed in the back of a police van in 2022 were denied bids Thursday to enter a program that could have erased criminal charges against them and let them avoid trial.

A judge in New Haven Superior Court rejected the former officers’ applications for accelerated rehabilitation, citing the seriousness of Richard “Randy” Cox’s injuries. The program, generally for first-time offenders accused of low-level crimes, requires successfully completing probation.

“The resulting injuries to the victim are of such a serious nature that the court feels that precludes participation in the program,” Judge Gerald Harmon said.

The four former New Haven officers, Oscar Diaz, Betsy Segui, Ronald Pressley and Luis Rivera, were charged with misdemeanors of negligent cruelty to persons and reckless endangerment. All four, whose cases were continued until May 9, declined to comment after the hearing. …