A former Hartford officer was arrested and charged in connection with the police-involved shooting of a man in the midst of a mental health crisis in February, according to a report from the Connecticut Office of Inspector General that was released Monday,
Joseph Magnano is charged with first-degree manslaughter in the death of 55-year-old Steven Jones, according to Inspector General Eliot D. Prescott. Magnano is free on $50,000 bond and is expected to appear in Superior Court in Hartford on June 5.
As required by statute, the Office of Inspector General investigated the use of deadly physical force. It determined that on Feb. 27 around 11 a.m., Jones’ sister Audrey called 911 seeking assistance and stated that Jones was having an acute mental health crisis. She said Jones had cut himself and had a knife in his hand, the report said.
Several police officers were dispatched to Blue Hills Avenue in Hartford.
Previously released police body camera footage of the incident shows Officer Josue Charles was first to arrive at the home on Blue Hills Avenue just after 11 a.m. His bodycam footage shows a man speaking with Jones, who is holding a large knife on the front stoop of a home. The man walks away as Charles begins asking Jones to get rid of the knife. (Warning: Videos are graphic in nature)
“Have him drop the knife,” Charles tells the unidentified other man, the footage shows.
As Charles gets behind his cruiser, Jones can be seen walking toward him in the street, according to the footage. Charles then circles around the cruiser and onto a sidewalk to put a barrier of snow between him and Jones. Charles continues asking Jones to drop the knife before a woman can be heard screaming.
“No, that’s my brother,” the woman shouts.
“I’m not gonna shoot him,” Charles tells her.
The woman continues to scream as Jones stumbles in the street and Charles asks him multiple more times to drop the knife.
A little over a minute after arriving at the scene, Charles draws his Taser. According to Prescott’s report, Charles deployed his Taser several times at Jones, “but the Taser deployment was unsuccessful in immobilizing Jones or securing his compliance.”
Officer James Prignano arrived at the scene around 11:09 a.m. to assist Charles. He immediately begins telling Jones multiple times “We don’t want to shoot you,” the footage shows.
Courtesy of Office of Inspector General
Body camera footage from Officer James Prignano of the Hartford Police Department shows him persuading Steve Jones to drop his knife before Jones was shot at nine times by Officer Joseph Magnano on Feb. 27. (Courtesy of Office of Inspector General)
Jones begins to chase Prignano around his cruiser, who is able to back away and keep his distance from him as the two are in the middle of the street. Jones then slows down to a walk but was still holding a knife, according to the report.
Officer Jackeline Torres then arrives and begins to assist the other officers in persuading Jones to drop the knife, the report says. Torres, Prignano and Charles can then be seen on the footage forming a circle around him.
The report noted that during the exchange Jones did not speak to the officers. Several bystanders who were at the scene were also attempted to persuade Jones to drop the knife.
Torres encourage Jones to drop the knife and attempted to speak kindly with him by using terms of endearment such as “hon,” according to the bodycam footage. Torres also asked the other officer if they had another Taser and then requested one on her radio. The siren on Magnano’s cruiser can be heard as it arrived at the scene.
Magnano arrives at the scene near the intersection of Blue Hills Avenue and Euclid Street at 11:12 a.m., the report said. Magnano’s bodycam footage shows that he immediately exits his cruiser and makes his way toward Jones, who was surrounded by the other officers. Torres asks Magnano if he has a Taser, and he tells her “no” as he gets closer to Jones, the footage shows. A woman could be heard nearby shouting “don’t shoot him,” according to the footage.
With his firearm drawn, Magnano approached to within 17 feet of Jones with his firearm drawn, the report said. Magnano immediately begins calling for Jones to drop the knife.
According to the bodycam footage, Jones quickly began to focus his attention on Magnano. Jones started to walk toward him while holding the knife.
Courtesy of Connecticut Office of Inspector General
A screenshot taken from the dashboard camera video in Officer Joseph Magnano’s police cruiser prior to the shooting in Hartford. (Courtesy of Connecticut Office of Inspector General)
Prignano and Torres can be heard on bodycam footage saying “Mags, Mags, Mags.” Also, Prignano appears to motion with his hand for Magnano to ease his demands toward Jones, who then starts walking toward Magnano, the footage shows.
“You’re gonna get shot,” Magnano tells Jones, the footage shows. “Drop the knife.”
“Last time, drop the knife,” Magnano shouts as he was backed up into the Blue Hills Avenue and Euclid Street intersection.
Magnano then fires nine shots toward Jones, Jones immediately collapses to the ground as people in the area could be heard letting out horrific screams and cries. Magnano then began to yell expletives and holsters his weapon, according to the bodycam footage.
In a later interview with the Office of Inspector General, Magnano described his thought process before shooting.
“As I was walking backward I was able to observe numerous civilians to my left which Jones was also coming close to. I also knew I was getting closer to my cruiser behind me,” Magnano said. “I knew I had limited space behind me, which would prevent me from creating any more space between myself and Jones. I also knew the more I moved backward, the barrier I created between myself and the citizens would be removed. I feared Jones would cause serious physical injury or death to the citizens, officers on scene or myself. Jones had ignored multiple orders to drop the knife and was now dangerously closer to onlooking civilians while continuing to advance toward me holding the knife.”
Officers Torres, Charles and Prignano provided immediate medical attention to Jones, who was suffering from numerous gunshot wounds, Prescott said. Emergency Medical Service personnel arrived within two minutes and transported him to the hospital.
As other officers began to render medical aid, Magnano was approached by a uniformed officer, the report said. Magnano can be heard saying “I had to, I had to” on bodycam footage. He also stated “I had to, he kept coming, I gave him warnings.” Magnano got into a cruiser and was driven from the scene.
Courtesy of Office of Inspector General
A photo of the knife Steven Jones carried on top of Officer Josue Charles’ police cruiser following the shooting. (Courtesy of Office of Inspector General)
Jones was later pronounced dead on March 3 at 3:03 p.m. at Saint Francis Hospital. The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner performed a post-mortem examination of Jones’ body on March 4, Prescott’s report said. The cause of his death was determined to be complications of gunshot wounds to his torso and the manner of death was homicide (police shooting).
“More specifically, the examination revealed that Jones had seven penetrating gunshot wounds,” according to Prescott’s report. “First, he had gunshot wound to his left shoulder. The direction of the wound track was downward, slightly left to right, and slightly back to front. A bullet from this wound was recovered from the left upper abdominal cavity.
“Jones also had two penetrating gunshot wounds of his abdomen. The wound tracks were front to back and downward. Two deformed bullets were recovered from the lumbar and buttocks region,” the report added. “Additionally, there were two penetrating gunshot wounds of the left buttock and left inguinal area. The wound tracks were from left to right, but the OCME could not determine if they were up or down, or front to back. Two deformed bullets were recovered, one form the right buttock and the other right hip area.”
“Jones also had a penetrating gunshot wound to his left arm,” the report noted. “The wound track was downward, left to right and front to back. There was an associated exit wound and thus no bullet was recovered with respect to this wound.
“Finally, Jones had an entrance gunshot wound to his back. The wound track was from back to front, left to right and downward. A bullet (without its copper jacket) was recovered from tissue near his sacrum.”
According to Prescott’s report, blood samples and vitreous fluid samples were sent to a laboratory for toxicological testing. The samples reportedly tested positive for cannabinoids and Midazolam. “Midazolam is a benzodiazepine, often marketed under the name Versed, that is used for sedation in medical settings, as well as for anxiety. It has a sedating effect,” according to the report.
In conclusion of the report, Prescott stated that, “After applying the governing legal standard to the totality of the factual circumstances of this officer involved shooting, I conclude that Officer Magnano was not justified in shooting and killing Steven Jones on February 27, 2026. The basis for this conclusion is set forth in the warrant issued for the arrest of Officer Magnano.” He also determined that a prosecution of Magnano “is appropriate under the circumstances.”
A month after the shooting Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam terminated Magnano based on “the grounds of his performance,” he said.
“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 at the time. “The actions of Officer Magnano do not measure up to those standards.”
Arulampalam released a statement following the announcement of Magnano’s arrest on Monday and the release of the report from the Office of Inspector General.
“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. 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 toward ensuring that foundation remain stable,” Arulampalam said.
“My heart remains with the family and loved ones of Steven Jones as they navigate this painful chapter. My administration will continue to cooperate with state investigators, and I respect the judicial process and will continue to support a transparent, thorough path towards accountability for the Jones family and the Hartford community.”
The Hartford Police Union previously filed eight grievances in response to Magnano’s firing, alleging that he was fired “without just cause” and with “discriminatory intent,” and that city officials were in violation of the city charter, personnel rules and the collective bargaining agreement.
The death of Jones and the shooting of 53-year-old Everard Walker, who was shot and killed by a police officer in Hartford eight days earlier, brought renewed calls for police accountability. Walker was also experiencing a mental health issue and was shot after raising a knife. The Inspector General’s preliminary report alleged that he appeared intent on stabbing an officer who had fallen down.
Nationally recognized civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents the family of Jones, issued a statement in response to the arrest and announced a Tuesday news conference in Hartford.
“The charging of this officer is a necessary and meaningful step toward accountability for Stevie Jones and his family,” Crump said. “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.
“But accountability does not end with one charge,” he added. “We will continue to push for the Steven Jones Law, because his death must mean something beyond this courtroom. No family should ever have to bury a loved one because the systems meant to help them failed them so completely. We will not rest until his legacy produces real, lasting change.”
Crump was joined by activists and state lawmakers in April in supporting the bill aimed at preventing another killing similar to the shooting of Jones.
The legislation Crump and others are calling for would require police to use lesser forms of force and to exhaust every other option before using deadly force in situations involving an individual experiencing a mental health crisis.