Photos: YouTube
Racist police officers in Virginia pepper-sprayed and assaulted Lt. Caron Nazario for no reason (besides driving while Black) and drew guns on him, supposedly, because he had no license plate in the back, although he had a temporary one visibly displayed.
A second lieutenant in the US army is suing two Virginia police officers over a traffic stop last December in which the officers drew their guns, pointed them at him and used a slang term to suggest he was facing execution before pepper-spraying him and knocking him to the ground.
Body camera footage shows Caron Nazario, who is Black and Latino, dressed in uniform and with his hands held in the air outside the driver’s window as he tells the armed officers he is “honestly afraid to get out” of his SUV.
“Yeah, you should be!” one officer responds during the stop at a gas station.
In a lawsuit filed earlier this month, Nazario says his rights were violated during the stop in the town of Windsor. The two sides dispute what happened after a second police officer joined the first one. Nazario was coming from his duty station and going home, his attorney Jonathan Arthur said.
Read rest of story here.
Editor’ Note: The Isle of Wright NAACP and Virginia Congressman Bobby Scott released statements on the racist treatment Lt. Nazario faced by these officers:
The Isle of Wright NAACP released the following:
“Statement from Isle of Wight NAACP about the video on April 8, 2021 of 2 Windsor Police officers threatening and assaulting an African American Army 2nd Lt.
‘This video is evident of what the NAACP has been saying all along. It appears from the video that our justice is still being abused by police officers and we are very concerned. We are launching a separate investigation into The Windsor Police department involving this matter.
“We have the support of the Virginia State Conference of the NAACP, Congressman Bobby Scott’s Office and others.
“Please know this will not go unaddressed.
“We are done dying. We will not stand silently while another African American’s civil rights are violated.”
Congressman Bobby Scott released the following:
“I was horrified when I viewed the recently released video footage of the police treatment of Caron Nazario, a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. This should have been a routine traffic stop and the video speaks for itself. The release of this video also comes while the Hampton Roads community is still mourning the loss of Donovan Lynch who was killed by officers while their body worn cameras were not activated. Both of these instances should be investigated by federal authorities.
“These dangerous and tragic events highlight why the House of Representatives passed the George Floyd Justice In Policing Act. I urge my Senate colleagues to immediately pass this legislation and send it to President Biden’s desk for signature. It would be a critical first step in reforming policing in America.”
A longer video of this despicable case of police abuse can be seen here.
