A Hartford, Connecticut police officer has been immediately terminated after fatally shooting a Black man experiencing a mental health crisis just 30 seconds after arriving on scene. Three other officers had been successfully de-escalating the situation for several minutes before the shooting occurred on February 27.
HARTFORD, Conn. — Hartford’s mayor has terminated a police officer who shot and killed a man during a mental health emergency, despite three colleagues successfully working to calm the situation for several minutes beforehand.
Mayor Arunan Arulampalam announced Friday the immediate dismissal of Officer Joseph Magnano following the February 27 fatal shooting of Steven Jones, a Black man who was holding a knife on a city street. This incident occurred just over a week after another Hartford officer killed a different person also experiencing a mental health crisis.
“In the body-worn camera footage of the incident, as well as publicly shared videos, I saw three officers work together as a team to de-escalate a mental health crisis in a way that exemplifies the best of our police department,” Arulampalam said. “The actions of Officer Magnano do not measure up to those standards.”
Police Chief James Rovella did not respond to requests for comment Friday, while the police union has maintained that Magnano’s use of force was justified and legal through social media statements. Magnano was a new hire still serving his probationary period, and his contact details were not available.
The state inspector general’s office continues investigating the shooting to decide on potential criminal charges against Magnano. Body camera video from all four responding officers was released earlier this month.
The crisis began when Jones’ sister, Audrey Jones, contacted 911 requesting assistance for her brother’s mental health emergency, informing dispatchers he possessed a knife and had injured himself.
Video evidence reveals Steven Jones standing on the street while three officers spent several minutes repeatedly asking him to put down the knife while assuring him of their intent to help.
“Steve, you’re OK. We’re going to make sure you’re OK,” Officer James Prignano tells him. “Just drop the knife. We’re going to go talk to somebody, OK?”
Jones remains silent throughout the recorded interactions.
Approximately 12 minutes after the emergency call, Magnano arrived and immediately drew his weapon while commanding Jones to drop the knife, warning him “You’re going to get shot.” A woman can be heard shouting, “Don’t shoot him!”
The footage captures Prignano gesturing to Magnano, seemingly directing him to step back. As Jones moved slowly toward Magnano, the officer issued a final warning before firing nine shots at Jones, roughly 30 seconds after exiting his patrol vehicle.
Jones succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital four days following the shooting.
The termination announcement came one day after Jones’ funeral service, which drew prominent civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton and attorney Ben Crump, who represents the family and has handled numerous high-profile police shooting cases involving Black victims nationwide.
“Steven had a mental health crisis,” Crump said at the funeral. “He needed a helping hand from the Hartford Police Department, but instead he got nine bullet holes in his body. That is a shame before God. And the status of your mental health and the color of your skin should not equal the death sentence.”
Sharpton described Friday’s firing as “a necessary first step” while emphasizing that “Jones’ family and the people of Hartford deserve full justice.” Both he and Crump advocated for changes to improve Hartford police protocols for mental health-related emergency calls.
On February 19, Hartford police also fatally shot Everard Walker in a separate incident involving mental health concerns. A family member had contacted the 211 health and human services helpline, and two mental health professionals requested police accompaniment to Walker’s residence, according to Inspector General Eliot Prescott’s preliminary findings.
During the apartment visit, Walker, two of his children, and officers became involved in a physical altercation when Walker brandished a knife, Prescott reported. Walker refused police commands to drop the weapon.
Body camera video shows Walker raising the knife as Officer Geovanny Rivera appeared to stumble backward. Officer Alexander Clifford then discharged multiple rounds at Walker, who died later at a hospital. Prescott is also investigating this shooting.