Regulation agency representing Lt. Nazario in $1 million civil rights case in opposition to Windsor police releases assertion

RICHMOND, Virginia (WRIC) – The law firm that Lt. Virginia Cargar Nazario, who was featured in a viral video of guns being pulled at him and sprayed with pepper spray by officers from the Windsor, Virginia police department, posted a statement Monday thanks to those who have shown support for a civil rights lawsuit filed against the two police officers in federal court in Norfolk.

The lawsuit seeks $ 1 million in damages from Joe Gutierrez and Daniel Crocker for violating Nazario’s First and Fourth Amendment rights.

“Lieutenant Nazario is pleased with the support this weekend for the civil rights suit he filed last week,” said a statement from Thomas H. Roberts & Associates, PC.

In the complaint filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, attorney Jonathan M. Arthur, representing Nazario, stated that Gutierrez and Crocker’s actions “are compatible with a disgusting national trend of law enforcement officers believing they do so may act with impunity, engage in unprofessional, rude, racially biased, dangerous, and sometimes fatal abuse of authority (including issuing improper compliance-or-die orders), ignore the clearly established mandates of the United States and state Constitution, and local laws and regulations usurping the roles of legislature, judge, jury and executioner; replace their arbitrary and illegal behavior with the rule of law. “

PERMANENT COVERAGE: According to Caron Nazario traffic stop in Windsor

The incident happened on December 5, 2020 when Nazario was stopped by officers Gutierrez and Crocker who claim Nazario did not have a rear license plate on his Chevrolet Tahoe. The body cam footage shows that after entering the parking lot of a gas station on Route US 460 in Isle of Wight County, officers pointed their guns at Nazario, ordered him out of his vehicle and threatened to shoot if he didn’t held on to it.

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, Attorney General Mark Herring and US Senator Tim Kaine have all released statements condemning the two officers’ actions and calling for a criminal investigation into the incident.

The city of Windsor announced on Sunday evening that Gutierrez had been released from police after an internal investigation.

Although they’re glad Gutierrez was ultimately sacked for his actions in the incident, Arthur stated that they need to keep this going.

The officer was terminated after a traffic obstruction with the U.S. Army Lieutenant

“We must consider steps to decertify officers who engage in this behavior so that they cannot seek employment with other law enforcement agencies,” said Arthur. Additionally, the law enforcement community has given serious thought to the failure of officials like Daniel Crocker to act promptly to end an unjust police-civilian encounter. Too often officials, rightly or wrongly, support their colleagues at the expense of innocent civilians. “

The Virginia National Guard’s Public Affairs Office also issued a statement Monday:

The Virginia National Guard is very concerned about the safety, health and wellbeing of all of our employees, but we are not commenting on ongoing litigation and will allow this matter to get through the legal system.

The unit of Lt. Nazario had been aware of the incident since early December and they were in close contact with him and ensured he was supported by the Virginia National Guard.

The Virginia National Guard has behavioral health specialists and pastoral support for all service members affected by this event. If they have any concerns, the unit leaders can have an open dialogue with their soldiers.

Nazario is a 2nd Lieutenant serving as an administrative officer for the 70B Army Health Services with the Virginia National Guard’s 1st Battalion in Norfolk, 111th Field Artillery Regiment, 116th Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

He was hired as an officer in December 2016 when he graduated from Virginia State University.

The Isle of Wight office and NAACP in Virginia plan to hold a press conference at 6 p.m. on Monday to address the incident. The press conference will be broadcast live on WRIC.com.

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