WINDSOR, Va. — There is outrage in the Town of Windsor following newly-released video of a traffic stop of an Army officer in December.
The bodycam footage shows officers with guns drawn pepper-spraying and threatening the man, who has now filed a federal suit.
On Tuesday, people packed the first Town Council meeting since the incident went public. Several speakers said they are furious at the way the officers treated Army 2nd Lt. Caron Nazario.
But some are even more upset with how long it took for the Town of Windsor to take action.
“If this [video] did not come out, would the Town of Windsor have said anything to the community? No!” exclaimed Isle of Wight NAACP President Valerie Butler.
As of Tuesday, one of the Windsor police officers involved in the December 5th traffic stop of Army 2nd Lt. Caron Nazario had been fired.
The town manager confirmed Officer Joe Gutierrez was let go only on Sunday, four months after the traffic stop and days after video of the incident was released, sparking national outrage and creating calls for an investigation by state leaders.
“Why did it take so long to fire the officer when this took place in December?” asked speaker Samantha Jackson.
On Tuesday several people -- including members of the Isle of Wight chapter of the NAACP and BLM757 -- voiced concerns with the way Lt. Nazario was treated and the response by Windsor officials.
The town has said that an investigation into the officer’s actions took place immediately following the incident.
Veteran Judith Dempsey, who’s lived in Windsor for 20 years, said it hurts learning the town leaders did not bring this to the community sooner.
“I am ashamed of being from Windsor," Dempsey said. "The only reason he got fired is because the video is getting out.”
There was a lot of talk about what should happen to the other officer, Daniel Crocker, who remains on the force. Several said he should be fired, too.
But a local citizen group called Southern Central Isle of Wight, consisting of more than 50 people in the community, asked town officials to give Officer Crocker due process.
After the public hearing, the town council went into a two-and-a-half-hour closed session. After the session ended, Mayor Glyn Willis would not take questions but shared the council's following objectives:
- They will eagerly and actively cooperate with Virginia State Police on the investigation into the Dec. 5 traffic stop.
- Any additional information, including body cams, police reports, and FOIA docs will be made available on the town website.
- The Town of Windsor plans to hold weekly council work sessions, likely starting next Tuesday, to engage with the community.
As for Windsor Police Officer Daniel Crocker, Town Manager William Saunders said he is still employed and was never put on administrative leave. He also said Crocker finished police academy within last year.
It was Crocker who first flagged Nazario, and initiated the traffic stop.
On behalf of the Windsor Town Council, Mayor Willis said elected leaders “fully support the Windsor Police Department, including Chief Rodney Riddle and Officer Daniel Crocker.”
There have been calls for Crocker’s firing by the local NAACP chapter and others in the community.