Former Hartford police officer charged in shooting death of Steven Jones
The former Hartford police officer who shot and killed Steven Jones in February has been charged with first-degree manslaughter, according to Connecticut Inspector General Eliot D. Prescott.
Joseph Magnano was arrested on Monday, Prescott said in a news release.
Magnano shot Jones nine times on Friday, Feb. 27, after police were called to a home on Blue Hills Avenue for a report of a man experiencing an acute mental health crisis. When officers arrived, Jones was standing at the entrance to his apartment with the large knife, according to an initial report from the Office of the Inspector General.
Jones then walked out onto the street with the knife, and three officers tried for more than five minutes to get him to drop it, the report said.
Magnano was the fourth officer to arrive on the scene. He approached Jones with his firearm out, asked him to drop the knife, and said, “You’re going to get shot.” As Jones continued to walk toward Magnano with the knife, Magnano said, “Last time, drop the knife, drop it,” according to the report.
Magnano then shot Jones nine times, the report said. He was hospitalized and later died.
Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam fired Magnano a month after the shooting.
“When I made the decision to terminate Mr. Magnano, it was because his actions on February 27 violated the core principles of public safety, care, and crisis de-escalation that Hartford demands of its officers< Arulampalam said in a statement on Monday. “As I’ve said before, the Hartford Police Department is built on a foundation of trust and a commitment to serving every resident with excellence. Today represents a critical, independent step towards ensuring that foundation remains stable.”
In a final report released on Monday, the inspector general said the shooting was not justified.
“After an investigation into the totality of the circumstances of Officer Magnano’s use of deadly force, I have determined that his actions were not objectively reasonable. Accordingly, I conclude that his use of deadly force was not legally justified,” the inspector general said in the report.
Jones’ family is being represented by prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
“The charging of this officer is a necessary and meaningful step toward accountability for Stevie Jones and his family,” Crump said in a statement. “Stevie was in the middle of a mental health crisis, and instead of receiving the care he needed, he was shot nine times. This charge reflects what the family has known all along, that what happened to Stevie was not justified.”
Magnano was released on $50,000 bond and is scheduled to be in court on June 5.
Magnano is the first law enforcement officer to be charged with manslaughter in connection to an on-duty shooting since State Police Trooper Brian North shot Mubarak Soulemane in West Haven in 2020. Trooper North was later acquitted of all charges by a jury.
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