Pepper Sprayed Over Black Skin During Military Service : Caron Nazario Lawsuit, Virginia Police, Military Stories, TRUE CRIME

The Caron Nazario scandal refers to a highly publicized 2020 incident in which U.S. Army Lieutenant Caron Nazario, a Black and Latino servicemember, was pepper-sprayed, threatened, and assaulted by two police officers during a traffic stop in Windsor, Virginia. The encounter gained national attention after Nazario’s cellphone footage and the officers’ body camera videos were released, showing Nazario in uniform with his hands raised as he told the officers he was afraid to exit his vehicle, to which one officer, Joe Gutierrez, responded, “You should be.”

Police had pulled Nazario over at night for allegedly lacking a rear license plate—though a temporary tag was clearly visible in the rear window. The officers approached his SUV with guns drawn, shouting conflicting commands. When Nazario asked what was happening, they pepper-sprayed him, forced him out of the car, and pushed him to the ground. The video sparked outrage and renewed debate about police brutality, racial profiling, and the treatment of Black Americans in law enforcement encounters.

Following public outcry, Officer Gutierrez was fired, while the second officer, Daniel Crocker, remained employed. Nazario later filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against both officers, alleging excessive force and violation of his constitutional rights. In 2024, a jury awarded Nazario $3,685 in damages, a result many criticized as far too small given the severity of the incident. The case continues to be cited as a stark example of police misconduct and the challenges victims face in seeking justice through the legal system.