Virginia governor calls for probe into traffic stop of Black Army officer
Updated: 10:09 PM EDT Apr 11, 2021
6:30 p.m. December 5th 2020 Lieutenant Karin Nazario driving in his army fatigues through the small town of Windsor Virginia, saw flashing lights in his rear view mirror. He wasn’t sure why he was being pulled over according to his lawsuit. He slowed down and put his blinker on indicating his intention to pull over but didn’t do so for another minute and 40 seconds, which he later explained was in order to find a well lit area driver, roll the window down, put your hands out the window, turn the vehicle off, put your hands out the window, hearing these different commands while sitting in his car with a seatbelt on. Nazario began recording from his own cell phone and put his hands out the window as ordered turns out. Officer Daniel Crocker had not seen the temporary license plate taped to the back window of Nazario’s brand new Chevrolet Tahoe and seeing tinted windows and a driver not stopping right away. Crocker decided it was a high risk traffic stop, But this was never explained to Nazario who for several minutes continued to ask why he’d been pulled over. What’s going on? How many occupants are in your vehicle? It’s only myself while your weapons drawing. What’s going on? Get out of the car Now I’m serving this country and this is how I’m treated. I guess what I’m a veteran to, I’m a no based get out of the car body. Camera footage shows officer joe Gutierrez gun drawn, unfasten the velcro around what may be his taser at this time. What’s going on? What’s going on? Your driver’s license? The lawsuit says Nazario thought ride the lightning meant he could be killed. I’m honestly afraid to get out. Can I actually get out? I have not committed any crimes stop waiting at this point. Right now you’re under arrest, You’re being detained, you’re being for a traffic violation. I do not have to get out the vehicles. You haven’t even told me why I’m being stopped. About 2 to 3 minutes in. Officer Crocker tried to open the driver’s door in his report. He wrote quote when I attempted to unlock and open the driver’s door, the driver assaulted myself by striking my hand away and pulled away from officer Gutierrez grip. But in his own body camera footage. Nazario is not seen striking anyone. Crocker’s report also says that at this point Gutierrez quote gave several more commands to comply with orders or he would be sprayed with his O. C. Spray. But no such warnings could be heard. Gutierrez just sprayed Nazario still without either officer having told rosario what exactly he was pulled over for this duck. That’s the car. Now, I don’t even want to reserve my seat, but can you take your seatbelt off and get out of the car? You made this way more difficult to have it on the ground. You please talk to you on the ground. Now, can you please talk to me about what’s going on? Why am I being treated like this? Why you’re not cooperating? Get on the ground right down to the officers, handcuffed Nazario then stood him back up. He told them his dog was in the back seat and was choking from the pepper spray. Medics arrived and the conversation mellowed well, would have been a two minute traffic stop turned into all this. Nazario explained why he didn’t immediately pull over. I was pulling over towards Wellness area for my safety and yours. I have respect for law enforcement. But Gutierrez said that wasn’t the problem. Please. What? The media stealing with the race relations between minorities. The lawful I get it. Okay, so like I told you as far as you’re not stopping because you weren’t comfortable and you want to win this spot because that happens. It happens to be a lot. And yeah, I was 87 times. Not always 80, sometimes, that’s a minority. And while the officers couldn’t understand why Nazario didn’t get out of the car is instructed. I want to comply. Nazario said he didn’t know why he was being stopped. I’ve never looked out the window and so guns blazing immediately, Gutierrez eventually told Rosario that he had a conversation with the chief of police and was giving him the option to let this all go. There’s no meeting is on your right. I don’t want to record however society if you want fight and argue. I mean, I don’t mean disrespectfully. Okay. I mean, you have that right. As a citizen. If that’s what you want, we’ll charge you. It hasn’t changed my life one way or the way
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Virginia governor calls for probe into traffic stop of Black Army officer
Updated: 10:09 PM EDT Apr 11, 2021
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.
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.
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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.
