Police chief says outrage over viral video between officer and black Army lieutenant led to officer’s firing

The officer who pepper-sprayed an Army official during a traffic stop lost his job because the video went viral, a Virginia police chief said.

Windsor Police Chief Rodney Riddle and Windsor Town Manager William Saunders took questions Wednesday about the incident between Officers Joe Gutierrez and Daniel Crocker and 2nd Lt. Caron Nazario that occurred in December 2020. The Army member filed a lawsuit on April 2, alleging the officers violated his First Amendment and Fourth Amendment rights.

Nazario is seeking $1 million in damages, saying officers used excessive force and racially profiled him.