Former Sergeant Admits Guilt in Prisoner Mistreatment Case
A former Connecticut police sergeant has pleaded guilty to mistreating a prisoner, Richard 'Randy' Cox, who was left paralysed from the chest down after an incident in a police transport van. Betsy Segui, formerly a sergeant with the New Haven police, entered her plea to a misdemeanour charge of second-degree reckless endangerment on Wednesday, 12 November 2025.
She received a 60-day suspended jail term as part of a plea agreement. This development follows a similar plea deal accepted by another former officer, Ronald Pressley, just last week.
A Tragic Journey and a Failure to Act
The case stems from events on 19 June 2022, when Cox, then 39, was being transported after an arrest on charges that were later dismissed. The van, in which he was handcuffed and without a seat belt, braked hard. This caused Cox to be thrown head-first into a metal partition, breaking his neck.
According to police video evidence, Cox was heard pleading for help, stating, "I can’t move. I’m going to die like this. Please, please, please help me." Despite his clear distress, the situation worsened upon arrival at the New Haven police station.
Surveillance and body-worn camera footage revealed that officers, including Segui, mocked Cox and accused him of being drunk and fabricating his injuries. An internal affairs report confirmed that when Cox expressed his fear that he had cracked his neck, Segui retorted, "You ain’t crack nothing. You just drank too much." Officers were seen dragging the incapacitated man from the van and through the station before placing him in a holding cell.
Ongoing Legal Proceedings and Systemic Reforms
While two officers have now pleaded guilty, three other officers—Oscar Diaz, Jocelyn Lavandier, and Luis Rivera—have rejected plea deals and will face trial on charges of cruelty to persons and reckless endangerment.
The City of New Haven had previously agreed to a substantial $45 million settlement with Cox in 2023. Louis Rubano, a lawyer for Cox, expressed the family's desire for closure, noting that the upcoming trial forces them to relive the traumatic events. Cox has since bought a home where he lives with his mother, receiving ongoing care from medical professionals.
The incident sparked widespread outrage and comparisons to the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore. It also acted as a catalyst for significant policy changes, including a new statewide law mandating seat belts for all prisoners being transported. The New Haven police department dismissed Segui, Diaz, Lavandier, and Rivera for conduct policy violations, though Diaz successfully appealed and was reinstated. Pressley retired from the force.
