Black Latino lieutenant sues police over excessive use of force during brutal traffic stop
Windsor, Virginia – A Black Latino second lieutenant is suing two Virginia police officers for violating his constitutional rights after a particularly brutal traffic stop.
Caron Nazario was in his car at a gas station in December when police ordered him to step outside his vehicle.
"I'm honestly afraid to get out," Lt. Nazario admits, hands in the air, in the video footage of the incident. His reaction is hardly surprising, as the cops have their guns drawn and yell at him aggressively.
"Yeah, you should be!" Officer Joe Gutierrez responded.
The Army medic still hesitated to exit the vehicle, so Gutierrez used pepper spray on him multiple times despite Lt. Nazario's protests that his dog was in the back seat choking.
"Are you a specialist, corporal, what are you?" Gutierrez asks at one point. "I'm a lieutenant," Lt. Nazario responds. As commissioned officers, lieutenants have a much higher rank and pay grade than enlisted soldiers like specialists and corporals.
Lt. Nazario eventually exits the vehicle and gets on the ground on his hands and knees. "Lay down or I'm going to tase you," the officers threaten, as they try to place him in handcuffs.
Officer Gutierrez reportedly also said that Lt. Nazario was "fixin' to ride the lightning," alluding to The Green Mile (1999), a movie about a Black man on death row.
Police body camera footage captured the shocking exchange.
Officers accused Lt. Nazario of "eluding police"
According to The Associated Press, the incident began when the other officer, Daniel Crocker, called in a "high-risk traffic stop." He had spotted a black SUV with tinted windows that reportedly had no rear license plate.
Crocker said the driver was "eluding police" by not stopping immediately.
Lt. Nazario's attorney explained that the Army officer had just been trying to find a well-lit place to stop "for officer safety and out of respect for the officers."
Gutierrez responded to Crocker's call for assistance.
When they reached the well-lit gas station, the rear license plate was visible on the vehicle.
That's when officers drew their guns and began to make their conflicting demands that Lt. Nazario both put his hands in the air and get out of the car at the same time.
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has announced he is calling on the Virginia State Police to launch an independent investigation into the incident.
The Town of Windsor announced in a press release that Gutierrez has been fired.
Cover photo: Screenshot/Instagram/jamaalbowmanny