A former Hartford police officer will face a criminal charge in the fatal shooting of Steven "Stevie" Jones, an incident that sparked outcry in the community and led to the officer's firing.
Connecticut Inspector General Eliot Prescott on Monday announced his office has determined that the former officer, Joseph Magnano, was not justified in using lethal force against Jones, a 55-year-old Black man who family members said was experiencing an acute mental health crisis when officers encountered him holding a knife on Blue Hills Avenue on Feb. 27.
Magnano was arrested and charged with first-degree manslaughter. He was released on $50,000 bond and is due to appear in Hartford Superior Court on June 5.
Magnano could not immediately be reached for comment.
In a report released Monday, the inspector general concluded that Magnano's actions were not reasonable because among other things, Magnano didn't attempt to de-escalate the situation or use non-lethal force before shooting Jones.
In a statement, Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam said the inspector general's decision represents a "critical, independent step" toward ensuring the police department remains trusted in the community.
"My heart remains with the family and loved ones of Steven Jones as they navigate this painful chapter," Arulampalam said. "My administration will continue to cooperate with state investigators, and I respect the judicial process and will continue to support a transparent, thorough path toward accountability for the Jones family and the Hartford community."
A 'thousand yard stare'
Several officers responded to 687 Blue Hills Ave. after Jones' sister called 911 for help around 11:03 a.m. and reported Jones was holding a knife and had cut himself while experiencing a mental health crisis. She said Jones had not taken his medication, and was bleeding from his arm.
The first officer who arrived found Jones standing on the front stoop of his apartment. He ordered Jones to drop the knife as Jones walked toward him on the sidewalk. The officer fired a taser at Jones several times, but failed to immobilize him, according to the inspector general’s report.
Jones chased a second officer around a police cruiser, then slowed to a walk as the officer backpedaled and kept his distance, according to the report.
The officer, James Prignano, wrote in a sworn incident report that Jones “had a blank ‘thousand yard stare’,” and he was unsure if Jones was comprehending what Prignano was saying.
Officer Jackeline Torres then arrived and the group formed a half-circle perimeter around Jones with their guns drawn. In her report, Torres wrote that she called Jones by his first name to build rapport and get him to drop the weapon, but his “face remained emotionless.”
“Jones had a blank stare and appeared as though he was looking through us, and not at us, and did not have any reaction to our orders to drop the knife,” she wrote.
Torres wrote that she called over the radio for an officer with a taser to respond in hopes of de-escalating the situation.
'You're going to get shot'
Magnano was parked at a gas station about four miles away as the incident unfolded. In his statement, Magnano wrote that he heard an officer say over the radio that a man was running at him with a knife, and that the officer had fired a taser. He then heard Torres say something along the lines of “Give us a minute, he still has the knife and is not dropping it,” according to his statement.
When he arrived, Magnano saw civilians and was concerned Jones could lunge at them or the officers, he wrote.
“Jones was not contained or controlled and was still in possession of the knife,” he wrote. “While approaching, I yelled ‘hey’ to Jones in an attempt to divert his attention from the citizens. Jones was non-compliant with any prior officers commands and continued pacing back and forth in the street with the knife.”
Magnano wrote that he positioned himself in front of the civilians and drew his weapon.
In its description of the incident, the inspector general’s office wrote that Magnano approached Jones with his gun drawn, stopping when they were about 17 feet apart. Jones walked toward Magnano and Magnano ordered him to drop the knife, yelling “You’re going to get shot,” according to the report.
Jones continued to approach him at the intersection of Blue Hills Avenue and Euclid Street. Magnano yelled “Last time, drop the knife, drop it,” then fired nine shots at Jones, who fell to the ground, according to the report.
In his statement, Magnano wrote that he was aware Jones was coming closer to civilians and closing the distance to the police cruiser behind Magnano, preventing Magnano from creating more space between them.
“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,” he wrote. “I then fired my department issued firearm until I observed Jones on the ground."
Warrant: Officer shot Jones as he lay on the ground
Jones underwent two surgeries at Saint Francis Hospital, where he remained on life support for several days before being declared dead on March 3 after developing a necrotic bowel because of damage caused by gunshot wounds to his digestive system, according to the inspector general's report.
The state medical examiner ruled his death a homicide and determined it was caused by complications from gunshot wounds of the torso. Bullets penetrated his body in seven places, including his left shoulder and arm, abdomen, back, buttocks and inguinal area, the medical examiner found.
In a warrant application for Magnano's arrest, a chief inspector for the state noted that Magnano fired at least four shots after Jones had fallen to the ground. Several of the gunshot entrance wounds on his body were located on Jones' buttocks and back, the warrant application states.
Toxicology testing later showed samples taken before and after Jones' death were positive for cannabinoids and midazolam, a sedative used in medical settings and to treat anxiety, according to the inspector general's report. Detectives found psychotropic medications and other drugs prescribed to Jones inside his apartment.
Several nationally-known civil rights activists attended a funeral service for Jones at First Cathedral in Bloomfield, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, who delivered his eulogy.
Arulampalam ordered Magnano's firing soon after the service. The mayor praised the other three officers involved in the incident.
“What I saw were three officers who exemplified the very best of that badge, three officers who worked collaboratively as a team to deescalate a really difficult situation,” Arulampalam said. “And then I saw one officer come in, Officer Magnano, late to the scene to not work with his teammates, not deescalate, and the end result of that was a tragic incident that took the life of Steven Jones.”
Shooting was not justified, inspector finds
Magnano was 23 and had served as a patrol officer for about seven months before the shooting, according to the warrant. The police department hired him in October 2024. He graduated from the Hartford Police Academy in March 2025 and completed his field training in late June of that year.
A state inspector who sought Magnano's arrest faulted him for not taking alternative measures before resorting to deadly force.
Magnano was present for only 34 seconds before shooting Jones, and interacted with him for 26 seconds before opening fire, according to the warrant application.
The inspector noted Magnano didn’t seek cover behind two police vehicles, nor did he attempt to move the bystanders, who were walking away when Magnano discharged his firearm, according to the report.
“Magnano had ample space to continue to walk backwards and maintain distance from Jones,” the warrant application states. “To the extent that Magnano was concerned with his own safety, the presence of three other officers near Jones and with their firearms drawn mitigated the risk to Magnano.”
The inspector noted that Magnano had pepper spray on his duty belt, but didn’t attempt to use it, and that Jones had been acting less aggressively and was only loosely gripping the knife just prior to Magnano’s arrival.
As the confrontation unfolded, a police lieutenant who was not present requested over the radio for an officer armed with less lethal weapons to respond. Another officer confirmed they were en route.
“Based on the facts recited herein, even if Officer Magnano subjectively believed that it was necessary to use deadly physical force to defend himself or others from the imminent use of deadly physical force by Jones, that belief was not objectively reasonable,” the inspector wrote. “Moreover, Officer Magnano's own actions precipitated any need to use deadly physical force against Jones.”
Police union defends Magnano's conduct
The shooting of Jones came on the heels of the Feb. 19 fatal shooting of Everard Walker in his Capitol Avenue home in Hartford. Family members in that incident had called 211 to evaluate Walker’s mental health. Police responded and an officer shot Walker during a confrontation in which he was wielding a knife, according to a preliminary inspector general report.
The deaths sparked anger and sustained calls for action, including for the officers involved to be fired, and for the city to fully fund mental health crisis response teams and empower its police oversight board.
The president of the Hartford Police Union, James Rutkauski, has staunchly defended Magnano's actions. The union previously filed a grievance challenging Magnano's termination from the police department.
Rutkauski on Monday criticized the findings of the inspector general. He said Jones had the ability to harm police and bystanders, and did not respond to efforts by the other officers at de-escalation.
"It's a lawful, justified use of force, and now we just have to let this get worked out through the court system," he said.
Editor’s note: Arunan Arulampalam's father-in-law is Gregory B. Butler, who is a member of the Board of Trustees of Connecticut Public.
