Hartford mayor fires police officer who fatally shot man last month

Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam has determined that the employment of the Hartford police officer who shot and killed Steven Jones last month will be terminated immediately, he said on Friday.

Officer Joseph 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 a 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. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later determined that Jones’ death was a homicide.

In a statement on Friday, Arulampalam said he found the body camera footage of the incident “deeply concerning.”

“Today, I have made the determination that the city’s employment of Officer Joseph Magnano is terminated effective immediately on the grounds of his performance,” the mayor said.

Arulampalam said the Office of the Inspector General’s investigation into the shooting is ongoing and that the city will continue to support that work. He also said that the city has taken on its own efforts to respond to the incident.

His statement continued, in part:

“The Hartford Police Department is built on a foundation of trust and a commitment to serving every resident with excellence. To maintain that bond, we must ensure that every individual wearing a Hartford badge meets the highest professional standards.

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. The actions of Officer Magnano do not measure up to those standards.

In my State of the City address earlier this week, I spoke about the pain our community has felt and promised that we would not stand still. I recognize that the past four weeks since the incident first occurred have been a long, difficult, and often frustrating time for our community. Although the public may not see everything that happens at City Hall please know that I have been thinking about this tragedy and working each day for the past four weeks to bring a resolution to this situation. 

I will not compromise on the expectations we set for those tasked with protecting our streets. Our focus remains on building a police force that is effective, transparent, and rooted in the respect and trust of the people of Hartford.”

Jones was laid to rest on Thursday.

In attendance at his funeral was prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who says he is exploring all possible legal options for the family. He was joined by civil rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton, who said he was in attendance to shine light on Jones’ death.

Jones’ death was the second fatal shooting by a Hartford Police officer in an eight-day time period.

Officer Magnano was previously put on paid administrative leave.

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