Connecticut officer fired after shooting man in mental health crisis as others tried to de-escalate

Mayor of Hartford has fired a white police officer who fatally shot a Black man in a mental health crisis nine times Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox A white Connecticut police officer who fatally shot a Black man 30 seconds after arriving at the scene, where three fellow officers had spent several minutes trying to de-escalate the situation, was fired Friday. Arunan Arulampalam, Hartford’s mayor, said in a statement that he terminated Officer Joseph Magnano effective immediately in connection with the 27 February shooting of Steven Jones, who was on a city street holding a knife. The killing came eight days after a different Hartford officer fatally shot another man in a mental health crisis. “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. “The actions of Officer Magnano do not measure up to those standards.” A Hartford police spokesman referred questions to Chief James Rovella, who did not immediately return a phone message or email on 27

Mar 27, 2026 → Mar 27, 2026