(CNN)A man in police custody slid headfirst into an interior wall of a transport van in the Connecticut city of New Haven on Father's Day, video released by the city shows -- an incident his family said Tuesday left him partially paralyzed.
Richard "Randy" Cox Jr., 36, suffered a serious injury to his neck and spine while he was in the custody of New Haven police, and the incident is being investigated by the Connecticut State Police, Mayor Justin Elicker has said. Five New Haven police officers, including the van's driver, have been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation, Elicker said in a letter shared with New Haven residents on his Twitter account last week. "What happened to Mr. Cox was just terrible and completely unacceptable ... and it will not be tolerated in the New Haven Police Department," the mayor said in a news conference on Tuesday. Posted by JR