Video shows Army officer being pepper-sprayed by police officers during traffic stop

One of the police officers accused of using excessive force in a Virginia traffic stop has been fired following an investigation, the town manager said late Sunday.
The Windsor officers pointed guns at, pepper sprayed and pushed a Black US Army officer to the ground during the traffic stop last December. During the stop, the police officers believed the Army officer was missing a license plate on his new SUV.
Second Lt. Caron Nazario, who is Black and Latino, is suing over the incident, claiming the two officers violated his rights guaranteed under the First and Fourth Amendments.
One of the officers, Joe Gutierrez, has been fired, Town Manager William Saunders confirmed to CNN. The other officer, Daniel Crocker, is still employed by the police department, Saunders said.
A statement from the town didn't give the date of Gutierrez's firing. CNN's Natasha Chen reports.

#CNN #News #NatashaChen

102 comments

  1. Cops: *Points guns, yells at him, and pepper sprays his face 3 times for doing nothing*

    Also cops: “yOu mAdE tHiS wAy MoRe dIfFiCuLt tHaN iT hAd tO BeE”

    1. @Sanya Trusty I’m having a hard time believing this trained soldier was too scared to comply with orders. If so, he has no business being in the military. He seemed pretty calm when he chose to ignore orders to record and then continued to intentionally not comply.

  2. Cop : “it doesn’t change my life either way”

    Social Media : I’m about to ruin this man’s whole career

    1. @Zolar Czakl I only know where the police station in my town. So unless there are signs, I wouldn’t be able to find a police station, in an unfamiliar area.

    2. Didn’t he get fired? What was the purpose of guns drawn? Both had guns drawn for no reason, then there’s no reason for them to remain a cop.

  3. He was fired ten minutes after the video was released to the public. ALL OFFICERS INVOLVED SHOLD BE FIRED. The other officer did NOTHING to de-escalate and calm the situation. All this for tags (THAT WERE LAWFULLY DISPLAYED)? Why is the officer who called in a felony and LIED on his report NOT also out of this profession too? “Bad apples” aren’t the bug at this point they’re the feature.

    1. The officer didn’t know he had that type of license plate, that’s why he was stopped. They de-escalated the situation. They had guns on them, then they went to taser then they went to peppers pray. If the the guy would’ve just complied, it would’ve been much faster and no one would’ve gotten hurt.

    2. @Mario N. Pretty sure most parents and most police tell you to drive to well lit area for your safety and theirs. I don’t know what video you watched but it didn’t take long for the gentleman to show his hands he just wanted to ask what the stop was for which should have been one of the first things to occur. The cop admitted later that it’s what a lot of minorities do. This was about Fear and Ego , no respect from the officer at all. Not until the end when he knew he was in trouble.

    3. @Pixie Minie Terrible policing, and correction he(the military Lt.) de-escalated or at least tried to with his demeanor from the start. I don’t know why it’s so hard for so many to believe that there are just some bad police out there. We have to acknowledge it and then work to fix it. Those of us on the outside looking in should have better judgment towards the truth and what’s right.

  4. This was rolling through the auditing community long before the MSM. Glad it went viral and has now gotten prime time attention. Qualified immunity really does need to go.

    1. @RDG Grateful I spout the martyr trope because the man literally ignored the cops after pulling over and focused on setting up his phone to record, then after he was pepper sprayed due to non-compliance he started saying how he couldn’t breath.
      You don’t have the ability to think critically in any way whatsoever if you’re defending this lieutenant’s atrociously childish behavior.

    2. @Kraang ‎‎‎‎‎‎​ he wasn’t even granted the benefit of being told why he was being stopped. Then threatened by the officer by being told he needs to be scared. And you defend the cop?! It shows where your evil, racist heart resides. You cold, callous 😈

    3. @RDG Grateful Yeah, because Mr. Nazario couldn’t have expected for the police to pull him over due to the fact that he had his registration hidden behind a tinted piece of glass. He also had no clue why they had their weapons drawn when he refused to pull over for 1.5 miles in a suburban area.
      You are the truly callous one, and your willful ignorance is on full display with how you refuse to acknowledge that Mr. Nazario refused to comply with any of the officers’ orders.
      He refused to pull over for 1.5 miles, then he refused to respond to the officers because he was busy setting up his phone to record. After he set his phone to record, Mr. Nazario decided to play coy and pretend that he has no idea why the cops are pulling him over while refusing to comply with their orders.
      When the cops try to open the door to his vehicle he resists by pulling it closed with his elbow.

      You genuinely have no idea what you’re talking about in regards to this situation, and you are the exact reason why society is crumbling.

    4. @Kraang ‎‎‎‎‎‎​ and blah, blab, blah. I refuse to accept that Nazario was in the wrong when there is a history of people of color being killed during routine traffic stops, especially when there isn’t any video evidence refuting the narratives crooked cops put out. Daunte Wright was killed (during a traffic stop) ten miles from where an officer is on trial for “allegedly” killing a Black man who was pulled from his vehicle. Not saying all cops are crooked, but these two were. Otherwise, there would have been no reason for them to have falsified their reports. So, again you 🤡, you are just showing your blatant disregard for the lives of people of color and a history that is fraught with police brutality against communities of color. 😈

    5. @RDG Grateful Got it, you refuse to look at the objective facts about this case because of instances which have no relevancy to this traffic stop.

      Good luck in life, especially when you’re blatantly disingenuous about every factor of it.

      Baa nbaaa blind sheep.

      By the way, if you were actively trying to understand what’s going on instead of listening to the dogwhistle of race baiting, you would understand that neither cops intentionally murdered anyone.
      But hey, that’s coming from someone that’s actually done research into both of these cases on their own instead of letting the media think for them.

      You are a truly lost soul that I sincerely hope will eventually come back to reality.

      You’re a clown.

    1. @FirstName LastName He is in the military. he should be given the respect and dignity that he deserves.

    2. @Rich McIntyre I seriously wonder, why this sentiment towards this lieutenant specifically when it seems like America really respects their veterans? Or you guys only choose to respect specific veterans? Makes you really wonder doesnt it….

    3. @Beowulf Battenberg the cop isn’t white, you’re argument is as delusional as Biden.

      Democrats believe that black people are too stupid or too lazy to obtain government-issued ID’s

  5. Angry men shouldn’t have a gun, much less be getting paid to threaten people for no good reason. SMH 😔

    1. @Lita O “Angry men shouldn’t have a gun” this is literally what you said. Do you not remember?

    2. @Lita O when you’re ready to communicate with people with common sense and a brain. let me know. You’re just used to stupid people. So now you can’t handle someone like me.

    3. @tyler durden keep on offending and attacking me. It shows more about you than it does me. And only a person that doesn’t have self reflection takes his problems from home to work, and vice versa. You can keep insulting me. But in actuality, your opinion of me means Nothing. Understand that. Nothing. By your insults, you show how ignorant, uneducated and an all around not very nice person. I’ll pray for you. Good luck in life. With that attitude, you are going to need it.

    4. @Lita O I’m insanely educated. I have a feeling that you didn’t even graduated highschool. You still avoid what’s important and only talk about yourself. I feel bad for child. Your god is fooling you. Good luck with your ignorance. It’s going to hurt your children not me. Lol

    1. @Bittersweetbrawl Thank GOD Biden is flooding the country with people with no money or skills …..20 000 kids with no parents ….Hundreds of thousands running to the welfare system and health care system and the low income housing system …but some one with your level of skill can explain how this is good for your country Bittersweetbral

  6. Big difference between protecting and serving and *bullying* and *dominating.* Very easy to see which party is doing which in this exchange.

    1. @Immortal Asirpa this everyone is equal concept has me confused considering they do a job that requires a high potential risk for loss of life at anytime depending on the location, and self proclaimed victim Lil Looty,.. robs, riots, and kills people. One serves and protects, one destroys and complains. I’m giving the cops the benefit of the doubt, because anyone that is willing to serve and protect wild thug rioters… with the occasion slip up.. is on my side of what a law and order society should and will look like.

  7. Don’t worry Gutierrez from Suffolk, VA, I’m a Black veteran too. We’re a small community and we know each other. You just lost more than your bs job!

    1. I believe Nazario is Latino, Puerto Rican. My friends last name is Gutierrez and He is Puerto Rican too. This is a Latino and Latino issue.

      Some of these cops are idiots.

    2. @B Vip Nazario is a Black Latino. Nazario looks like a Black man, Gutierrez looks Hispanic. I know, I know, Hispanic is not a race. This is a Black Hispanic vs Hispanic issue, Active Duty vs civilian cop issue, humane vs inhumane issue.

    3. @Metal Rooster Yup I can agree, But do you think color of the skin played a role? Or is it irrelevant? That’s what I want to know..

  8. “I’m afraid to get out of my car.”
    Cop: “You should be!”
    Wow this issue with cops is just getting worse and worse.. I cant believe that police officer would say that in a time like this.

    1. @EduTubeSA so he’s supposed to stop in the dark, alone with trigger happy police officers? And I guess only “certain people” are allowed to legally own guns? And last time I checked one has to use one’s hands to use a gun and his were in the car. Now imagine if he had reached for his seatbelt; the officer would have yelled “gun” and they would have turned the car into Swiss cheese. The officer escalated the stop simply because he was annoyed, despite him later saying that it is common practice for people to drive to the gas station for the stop.

    2. @Eric Klaus yes, he should have reached back into his dark vehicle while trigger happy officers point guns at him. That would have ended well…

    3. @Britt Gayle He does not have to stop in the dark. He did the right thing. Putting on the hazard lights. and stop where he did.

      I have done the same thing twice after flashing lights came on. The key is be polite, give them your drivers license if asked to get out of the car get out.

      I am a white guy, our police are 90% black, we have corrupt cops. We have fake cops that rob people. We have 1000’s of car jacking.

      Me from Sunny South Africa.

    4. @EduTubeSA
      1. Definitely a suspicious looking vehicle just because a black man is driving it.
      2. It is actually recommended if you get stopped by an officer to attempt to pull over somewhere that is safe for the officer to commence his investigation like, ahem, a well lit gas station. So you know, the officer doesn’t get hit on the side of the road.
      3. The officers immediately had guns on him pointing at him. If he had reached down to unlock and open the door there’s a very good chance he would have gotten shot because the officer thought he was “reaching for a gun.”
      4. You should not be forced to bow down to everything a police officer tells you do for a simple traffic violation.
      5. You are a disgrace to humanity
      6. There is no evidence the lieutenant had a firearm, or if there is, please provide evidence for your claim before acting like a clown in front of the whole internet.
      Now shut up and grow a brain cell.

  9. Corruption. Abuse of power. Poorly trained police officers. Demeaning behavior. That’s what I saw.

    1. It’s not poor training – it’s racial bias. How come when they‘re dealing with white people they act like well-trained officers?

    2. A suspicious looking vehicle, tinted windows, no number plate, police put on their lights, vehicle does not stop, rides on for 1.5 miles before stopping. Driver refuses to get out of the vehicle. All he had to to was comply. This lieutenant is an embarrassment to America. He also had a gun next to him that CNN does not even mention.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgBMnJyOiT0&t=3505s

  10. The thug cop standing there talking about the man “riding the lightning” and telling him he should be afraid when he lets them know he is scared. Then there are actually some people that wonder why there are people that are afraid when they encounter police.

    1. @J W Agreed. I don’t know anyone who would react the way they did. And they paid a steep price for it.

  11. As a veteran, this really pisses me off. Tired of these crooked, narcissistic police. We need to overhaul the whole system and get some good men on the force

    1. A suspicious looking vehicle, tinted windows, no number plate, police put on their lights, vehicle does not stop, rides on for 1.5 miles before stopping. Driver refuses to get out of the vehicle. All he had to to was comply, and you say the police are crooked and narcissistic. This lieutenant is an embarrassment to America. He also had a gun next to him that CNN does not even mention.

    2. The problem with the police is the Macho Man Inferiority complexes taught to them during training. If we really want this to stop we have to look at training in depth to approach new cops with a calmer, and more compassionate demeanor so we don’t end up with psychopaths like these that just want an excuse to beat down minorities to get a kick out of them being on top in the situation.

    3. @Stéphane Baribeau ……..,For a so called “religious man” he shows lots of vitriol towards the victim here. Why? Did he get kicked out of the military, or they wouldn’t let him in? What? Most likely just a keyboard badaxx. Talking big and bad behind that keyboard against a heinously wronged active duty service member. There’s no Jesus Love in this person. He should be ashamed of himself.

  12. This is the perfect example of how cops escalate the situation unnecessarily. That alone causes ppl to panic and make the situation much more difficult

    1. @Joe V further more, the cop again broke the social contract of the situation. The cop did not follow procedure at all. That would be like saying you should just stand there as the cashier swipes all your credit card info- even if it was on accident, and it was just because he had failed, your asking someone to stand by and allow the wrong thing to happen. The solider reached his end of the interaction and the cop wouldn’t bring up to his. There’s an imbalance that needs to be addressed by lots of change, and that change comes from reform. Cops need to be better, so people can learn to understand them better. It’s that simple. Both has to happen.

    2. @Darien Huddleson I absolutely agree, there is lots of improvement for police, they aren’t perfect. My point is that doesn’t make them bad or at fault every time something bad goes down.

    3. @Darien Huddleson Two wrongs don’t make a right. When you interact with police comply even if you fully believe you are in the right. Deal with it later.

    4. @Joe V the law is that you have a right to comply within reason. The cops became unreasonable and stepped outside the boundaries of the law. Your logic is side stepping an issue. Your logic dictates that if a cop came up to your door and said “sorry sir but we’re going to need your house for the night” you should have to give it over, because your supposed to comply. Or worse yet, “I want to shoot your daughter, and I’m arresting you so you can’t stop me” is all within the scope of the argument you make. Or are you saying there’s valid ways to fix situations like that after they happen. If nazario would have stepped out and died, then what? I’m not saying he would have, I’m just saying what if- the cops already weren’t following procedure- he had reason to believe his life was in danger. Unless your saying that after he died they could have fixed the problem by what? Arresting the cop? Giving the cop a death sentence. Again that doesn’t fix the problem. Only create more.

      There’s nothing wrong with looking at this situation and understanding what went wrong and where- this happens to be a cause where the officer made the first wrong move, and it’s ok to admit that. If you admit that, cops get a better reputation, because their able to be held accountable for errors.

    5. @Gianrico Sitchon Never said he was panicking. My statement was in reply to another comment that was claiming the way the police officers were acting would make anyone panic. I replied real Army officers don’t panic. Hope I cleared it up or you. Bottom line. I never said he was panicking.

  13. Never forget, it took 4 months and worldwide condemnation before these small town goofballs fired *one* of the two officers involved.

    1. @J W his hands were outside the vehicle; if the officers were that scared of a black soldier with his arms out of the vehicle they could have told him to stay like that until backup arrived. It’s disgusting that you think that police have the unrestricted right to terrorize whomever they want (with some notable exceptions).

    2. @Britt Gayle that’s your dumb theory? Brilliant..
      Yeah I’ve always heard that about compliance…tell me many examples of that result..I’ll wait..

    3. @J W “How about compliance and then making a complaint?

      Knuckle-dragging authority worshippers just don’t get it. Non-compliance is not a capital offence.

  14. WOW, “You don’t want a record, if you want to fight this, it’s your right as a citizen, but we’ll charge you”… The threats never stopped, even when they (the police) had time to think straight.

    1. @Britt Gayle Like you actually watched the full video, your responses sound like you’ve only watched the edited clips that support the narrative.
      If you watched the whole video in its entirety you’d see how childish Mr. Nazario was, and how he was intentionally disregarding the orders which were given to him because of his rank in the military.

    2. @X G I see you’re still deep in the far-right myths; there were clearly more than 100 people and they were shouting that they were looking for members of Congress. They stole their property, took photos of documents, assaulted officers etc. And the incident lasted longer than two hours. Notice how you minimize their actions? This is exactly why the justice system isn’t trusted.

    3. @Britt Gayle they went back to work immediately after it. I saw it on TV… it wasn’t as bad as people are making it out to be. I watch independent media that happened to be on the ground in the mess. Maybe you should lay off the mainstream cable friendly news and join the big boys in getting real information from multiple sources.

  15. They tried to cover this up by threatening the LT. career Imagine if the LT. would have stop in a Dark Area story would have been Army LT. found dead on side of road

    1. Yeah, if you’ve ever driven through much of Virginia and West Virginia, there aren’t many street lamps. It is DARK, like pitch black dark. The lieutenant did the right thing by pulling into a gas station, and I quote, “for my safety AND FOR YOURS” (emphasis added).

      Not only did they do what they did, they embellished and outright lied about their encounter on their written report. Sorry, but that is never okay, because it shows you have NO credibility and no integrity. I’d hate to have these two watching my back if anyone actually were to get aggressive on a call.

      Is it just me, or do you get a feeling that Mr. Ride the Lightning was trying to show off for the younger officer?

    2. @Lindsey Summers I really don’t think it is his first time using that to black people he has pull over.

  16. They changed their tune once they realized they we’re gonna catch some sh*t for their treatment of him.

  17. “If you wanna file a complaint about your treatment we will charge you so we lower your credibility and waste your money on that defense”

  18. Ironically this is exactly the reason why he didn’t pull over immediately, drove to a safe place, and was hesitant to get out of his car.

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