A Virginia police officer accused of pepper-spraying and pointing his gun at a biracial Army officer during a traffic stop in December of 2020 was fired hours after Gov. Ralph Northam called for an independent investigation into the case on Sunday.
Lt. Caron Nazario, who is black and Latino, was pepper-sprayed and knocked to the ground by Officer Joe Gutierrez, according to police body camera footage and lawsuit documents filed earlier this month. Nazario claims that Gutierrez and Officer Daniel Crocker violated his First Amendment and Fourth Amendment rights.
Northam called the encounter “disturbing” and requested that the Virginia State Police review the incident. Shortly after, the town of Windsor released a statement, acknowledging the incident and revealing Gutierrez’s termination from his position.
BIRACIAL ARMY OFFICER SUES VIRGINIA POLICE OFFICERS WHO ALLEGEDLY THREATENED HIM DURING TRAFFIC STOP
“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 a statement.
The officers did not follow department policy, according to an investigation on use of force opened at the time. The statement said that disciplinary action was taken against Gutierrez as additional training requirements were implemented in January.
“The Town of Windsor has remained transparent about this event since the initial stop, and has openly provided documents and related video to attorneys for Lt. Nazario,” the town’s statement said. “The Town will continue to provide information related to this event in its commitment to openness.”
Both sides dispute what happened during the incident, with Crocker writing in a report that he believed Nazario was “eluding police” and considered it a “high-risk traffic stop.”
Nazario’s attorney, Jonathan Arthur, told the Associated Press that his client was not trying to elude the police but was attempting to stop in a well-lit area.
In his suit, Nazario said the officers’ actions comport with a broader pattern of racial discrimination from police officers.
“These cameras captured footage of behavior consistent with a disgusting nationwide trend of law enforcement officers, who, believing they can operate with complete impunity, engage in unprofessional, discourteous, racially biased, dangerous, and sometimes deadly abuses of authority,” the lawsuit stated.
My statement on the encounter between Lieutenant Caron Nazario and two officers from the Windsor Police Department: pic.twitter.com/GcfL5YeIRm
— Ralph Northam (@GovernorVA) April 11, 2021
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The Washington Examiner contacted the Windsor Police Department but did not immediately receive a response.
