Tuesday for nearly beating a man to death while they were off-duty after a night of heavy drinking and nightclubbing.
The troopers were angry that the man grabbed a woman’s butt at an after-party in one of the trooper’s home.
In classic mob style, the troopers even took pictures of the man’s drivers license in an attempt to dissuade him from telling the police.
Now, both troopers have been suspended and a judge has put them both on house arrest until their day in court.
[__WFSB__](http://www.wfsb.com/story/34622249/ct-state-troopers-face-kidnapping-assault-charges-following-wethersfield-incident) reports that on February 18, Connecticut state troopers Xavier Cruz and Rupert Laird were out partying and drinking with friends at Club Karma in Hartford.
After the club closed, the group all went to Cruz’s house in Wethersfield to keep partying and drinking. But things got out of control once the drinks began to settle in.
Feeling extra flirtatious from the alcohol, Felipe Figueroa-Garcia grabbed a female guest by the butt. The woman told the troopers and that is when the torture-style beat-down took place.
The troopers forced Garcia to strip down to bare underwear, all while punching and kicking him more than 50 times.
At one point the troopers whipped out a police baton and began beating Garcia, splattering blood on the refrigerator, walls and floor.
Garcia was even made to stand on a metal cheese grater while on his knees.
“You know I can kill you right? If I was going to kill you no one would find your body,” Laird told Garcia while standing over him, pointing a gun, according to [__court documents.__ ](http://photographyisnotacrime.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/conn-state-troopers-assualt.pdf)
Eventually the troopers ordered Garcia to clean up his own blood, but when did not do a good enough job for them, they beat him again.
When the troopers finally stopped, they took pictures of Garcia’s drivers license and bruised body as a way to keep him from going to police.
But when Garcia drove himself to the hospital, a nurse contacted police after seeing his injuries and suspecting foul play. The police report notes there were dark purple bruises on Garcia’s chest, back, thighs, stomach and buttocks.
State police released this statement concerning the matter:
> “The Connecticut State Police is committed to serving all of Connecticut’s residents while embodying our core values of professionalism, respect, and integrity. We hold accountable all members of the agency, emphasizing their obligation to uphold these values and our standard of conduct, whether on-duty or off-duty.
> Immediately upon learning of the egregious conduct of two off-duty state troopers, Tpr. Rupert Laird, Troop C-Tolland, and Tpr. Xavier Cruz, Troop K-Colchester, the Connecticut State Police suspended their police powers, confiscated their weapons, badges and patrol vehicles, and opened its own administrative inquiry. Both troopers are suspended pending the outcome of the proceedings.”
When police went to Cruz’s house to investigate, they found blood on the floor and wall in the basement where Garcia was beaten.
The troopers are charged with first-degree kidnapping with a firearm, second-degree assault with a firearm and deprivation of rights by force or threat.
