Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam said Friday that he fired Officer Joseph Magnano, a rookie still in probation, after reviewing state-released police body-camera footage of the Feb. 27 fatal shooting of Steven Jones, a Black man during what family members described as a mental health crisis.
Arulampalam said the decision was based on what he saw on the video, including the timing of when Magnano entered the scene compared with the actions of earlier-arriving officers who had been trying to calm Jones. At a news conference, Arulampalam said that after “I saw one officer come in,” Magnano “did not work with his teammates,” and that the end result was “a tragic incident that took the life of Steven Jones.”
The inspector general released the video earlier this month, and it shows Jones on a city street holding a large knife while officers who arrived first appeared to backpedal to keep their distance, spoke to him in a calm manner, and spent several minutes attempting to de-escalate the situation. A 911 caller had told dispatchers that Jones was having a mental health crisis, according to the reporting: Jones’ sister, Audrey Jones, called for help and said he had a knife and had cut himself.
The footage also captures the moments right after Magnano arrives. About 12 minutes after the 911 call, Magnano is shown drawing his pistol and shouting at Jones to drop the knife, telling him, “You’re going to get shot,” as a woman is heard screaming, “Don’t shoot him!” The video shows Officer James Prignano motioning at Magnano, appearing to tell him to back away, as Jones slowly walks toward Magnano.
Arulampalam said the video shows Magnano “came in sirens blazing,” and he said Magnano, from the video, “appears to have re-escalated the situation and made it worse.” The footage shows Prignano and other officers continuing to urge Jones to drop the knife, and it also shows that Magnano gave a final warning before firing at Jones nine times, about 30 seconds after he exited his cruiser.
Jones died at a hospital four days later, authorities said. At his funeral, Rev. Al Sharpton delivered the eulogy and Ben Crump, a lawyer for Jones’ family, said Jones “needed a helping hand from the Hartford Police Department, but instead he got nine bullet holes in his body.” Crump called that outcome “a shame before God,” adding that the status of Jones’ mental health and the color of his skin should not be “equal the death sentence.”
Sharpton said Friday that the firing was “a necessary first step,” but he also said Jones’ family and the people of Hartford deserve “full justice.” Sharpton and Crump called for reforms aimed at improving Hartford police’s response to calls involving mental health.
The local police union president, James Rutkauski, defended Magnano, saying his actions were justified and in line with department policies. Rutkauski said in a statement that officers would hesitate in “split-second situations” not out of fear of the suspect but out of fear of “political second-guessing afterward,” adding that the “lost seconds” would slow responses and leave families more exposed as criminals sense “the weakness.”
Connecticut’s state inspector general’s office is investigating the Feb. 27 shooting and will determine whether to file criminal charges against Magnano. The Associated Press reported that Hartford police did not provide immediate comment beyond referring questions to Chief James Rovella, who did not immediately return a phone message or email.