Black Army Officer Pulled Over; Northam Orders Investigation

WINDSOR, VA — A U.S. Army officer — who was shown on video as he was pulled over and threatened by police officers in Windsor, Virginia, in December — is suing the police officers, one of whom has since been fired. Video of the incident went widespread on social media over the weekend.

A video shows Caron Nazario tell the officers he was afraid to get out of his car as guns were drawn by police. One of the officers responds by saying, "Yeah, you should be."

Nazario, who is Black and Latino, was still in his full Army uniform when pulled over. He said his rights were violated, as video shows the police officers, identified in the lawsuit as Joe Gutierrez and Daniel Crocker, pepper spray him while his hands were in the air.

The Army lieutenant was in his new Chevrolet Tahoe that did not yet have permanent license plates when he was pulled over on Dec. 5, according to The Washington Post, citing the lawsuit filed by Nazario's lawyers.

“You’re fixin’ to ride the lightning, son,” Gutierrez said, a phrase connected to electrocution and uttered in the movie "The Green Mile," which is centered around a Black man facing execution.

Gutierrez has been fired, the town of Windsor said in a Sunday night news release after the video went widespread.

Police said in the video Nazario was pulled over for a traffic violation. The officers later said Nazario was driving a car with tinted windows, had no rear license plate and was "eluding police" before he stopped in a well-lit area, according to an Axios report. Nazario was not charged.

The lawsuit claims the officers threatened to destroy Nazario's military career if he spoke up about the incident. Nazario is now seeking at least $1 million in the lawsuit, and has been backed by elected officials in Virginia.

U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, a Democrat, said he was "horrified" when the video footage was released.

"This should have been a routine traffic stop and the video speaks for itself," Scott tweeted over the weekend, calling for a federal investigation into the police officers' actions.

The Nazario incident also angered Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, who has instructed the Virginia State Police to investigate.

"We must keep working to ensure that Virginians are safe during interactions with police, the enforcement of laws is fair and equitable, and people are held accountable," Northam tweeted Sunday.

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