Gov calls for probe into traffic stop of Black Army officer
Virginia’s governor is calling for an independent investigation into a traffic stop in which two police officers were captured on video pepper-spraying and pointing their guns at a Black Army officer
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Virginia's governor is calling for an independent investigation into a traffic stop in which two police officers were captured on video pepper-spraying and pointing their guns at a Black Army officer before striking his knees.
Gov. Ralph Northam called the December 2020 encounter “disturbing” in a tweet on Sunday, adding that he directed Virginia State Police to review what happened during the stop in the town of Windsor
U.S. Army second lieutenant Caron Nazario filed a lawsuit earlier this month against two Windsor police officers, accusing them of drawing their guns, pointing them at him and using a slang term to suggest he was facing execution before pepper-spraying him and knocking him to the ground.
“Our Commonwealth has done important work on police reform, but we must keep working to ensure Virginians are safe during interactions with police, the enforcement of laws is fair and equitable, and people are held accountable,” Northam said in his statement calling for a review of the actions.
The two sides in the case dispute what happened, but Windsor Police Officer Daniel Crocker wrote in a report that he believed Nazario was “eluding police” and he considered it a “high-risk traffic stop." Attorney Jonathan Arthur told The Associated Press that Nazario wasn’t trying to elude the officer, but was trying to stop in a well-lit area.
Crocker and the other officer accused of involvement still work for the department, the town manager told The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk Windsor is about 70 miles (112 kilometers) southeast of Richmond
The Windsor police chief didn’t respond to messages sent through the police department’s Facebook page over the weekend and the town's mayor didn’t respond to two emails seeking comment.