The Rev. Al Sharpton is set to deliver the eulogy for Steven Jones, whose death has sparked unrest and renewed calls for police accountability after Jones was shot by a Hartford police officer while armed with a knife last month.
Jones’ homegoing services will take place Thursday at noon at the First Cathedral at 1151 Blue Hills Ave. in Bloomfield, according to the Connecticut NAACP.
Sharpton, 71, is widely known for his work in civil rights and social justice. He also delivered the eulogy at George Floyd’s funeral in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2020.
Attorney Ben Crump is also expected to attend after announcing earlier this month that he would represent Jones’ family and “explore every possible legal remedy to get justice for Stevie Jones,” he said at a news conference. Crump has also called for criminal charges against Officer Joseph Magnano, who shot Jones on Feb. 27 as he was experiencing a mental health crisis. His family called 911 around 11 a.m. and said Jones was armed with a knife and had cut himself, according to a preliminary report from the state Inspector General.
The first officer to arrive at the home on Blue Hills Avenue kept his distance from Jones as he walked toward the officer in the street, body camera footage showed. The officer called for him to drop the knife numerous times and tried to use a taser, but it was not effective, the footage showed.
Three officers were eventually able to form a circle around Jones in the street while continuing to call for him to drop the knife at gunpoint, according to the footage. Magnano arrived at the scene and immediately got out of his cruiser to approach Jones and the other officers.
Magnano began shouting for Jones to drop the knife, at which point he began advancing toward the officer, the footage showed. Magnano backed away toward an intersection and shouted for Jones to drop the knife, telling him he would be shot before he fired nine shots at him, the preliminary report said.
Jones was taken to Saint Francis Hospital where he died on March 3.
Jones’ death was preceded by the shooting of 53-year-old Everard Walker on Feb. 23 after his family called 211 and said he was experiencing a mental health issue at his apartment on Capitol Avenue, the preliminary report released by the Inspector General said. Two social workers asked for police to also respond to the apartment, where they spent nearly an hour speaking to Walker through an open door, the report said.
Police entered the apartment when Walker reportedly tried to close the door as he was being restrained by his son, who was one of several family members at the scene, according to the report. Officer Alexander Clifford shot Walker multiple times during a scuffle after a second officer fell down and Walker raised a knife in what investigators said appeared to be an attempt to stab the policeman, the report said.
Both shootings have drawn criticism from advocates and have led to several demonstrations in Hartford. They have also put renewed attention on mental health calls and sparked debate about the services that are available.