Attorney General Miyares Announces Resolution of Lawsuit Against Town of Windsor

Windsor Police Department Must Seek Accreditation and Submit to Third Party Review

RICHMOND, Va. -- Attorney General Jason Miyares today announced the resolution of legal claims against the Town of Windsor stemming from the December 6, 2020 traffic stop of U.S. Army Lt. Caron Nazario. The Attorney General’s investigation and lawsuit against the Town spanning several years culminated in an Order signed today by Isle of Wight Circuit Court Judge H. Thomas Padrick, Jr. 

The Order requires Windsor to obtain accreditation from the Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Commission, the agency responsible for setting the gold standard in policing. The demanding accreditation process requires the Windsor Police Department to raise the bar on its internal investigation processes and officer training. The Order also requires the Windsor Police Department to submit to an independent third-party review system for use-of-force complaints and other complaints of serious misconduct alleged against any officer. 

“What we all saw in the shocking traffic stop video involving Army Lt. Caron Nazario was an egregious and unjust use of power,” said Attorney General Miyares. “I join the hundreds of thousands of good and decent law enforcement officers who stand against the kind of police misconduct we witnessed. Police are the only government entity that has a monopoly on the use of force in American society, so it’s important that they be good stewards of that responsibility and strive for excellence in the administration of justice. Excessive use of force and violations of constitutional liberties will not be tolerated in Virginia.” 

On August 20, 2022, Attorney General Miyares’ Office of Civil Rights filed an amended complaint against the Town of Windsor for violations of the Virginia Public Integrity and Law Enforcement Misconduct Act. The Act authorizes the Attorney General to pursue legal action against police agencies that engage in a pattern or practice of unconstitutional or discriminatory policing. The complaint alleged a pattern and practice of misconduct by the Windsor Police Department before and after the December 6, 2020 traffic stop. This was the first such case brought under the Act in the Commonwealth by an Attorney General.

To read the Order, click here.

###