Trial set for Black soldier suing police over violent stop

By BEN FINLEY
Associated Press

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — A U.S. Army lieutenant who was pepper sprayed, struck and handcuffed by police in Virginia but never arrested will argue to a jury next week that he was assaulted and falsely imprisoned and that his vehicle was illegally searched. Video of the 2020 traffic stop got millions of views after Caron Nazario filed the federal lawsuit. It highlights fears of mistreatment among Black drivers and intensifies scrutiny of the boundaries of police conduct. The episode also was a signal to Black Americans that military uniforms don’t necessarily protect them. The trial is scheduled to begin Monday in federal court in Richmond.