By Richard Chumney
Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
HARTFORD, Conn. — Mayor Arunan Arulampalam fired a city police officer Friday who fatally shot an armed Black man experiencing a mental health crisis last month after determining he did not do enough to de-escalate the encounter.
Arulampalam announced in a statement that Officer Joseph Magnano’s employment with the city was terminated effective immediately “on the grounds of his performance” in the Feb. 27 shooting of Steven “Stevie” Jones.
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“The Hartford Police Department is built on a foundation of trust and a commitment to serving every resident with excellence,” Arulampalam said. “To maintain that bond, we must ensure that every individual wearing a Hartford badge meets the highest professional standards.”
The decision was made as Arulampalam faced a growing chorus of calls from city activists and other residents to discipline Magnano. On Monday, protestors interrupted his annual state of the city address to demand Magnano’s firing.
The development also comes a day after about 170 mourners gathered for Jones’ funeral at First Cathedral in Bloomfield, including the civil rights activists the Rev. Al Sharpton and Ben Crump.
Crump, a nationally known lawyer who is representing the Jones family, has called on the police department to reform how it handles mental health calls. He welcomed Magnano’s firing, but warned it cannot be the end of the process.
Read Mayor Arunan Arulampalam’s full statement:
Since the tragic officer-involved shooting on February 27, 2026 involving Mr. Steven Jones, I have been clear about my administration’s commitment to accountability and a thorough review of our public safety protocols. I’ve also been consistently clear that I viewed what we’ve all seen in the body cam footage as deeply concerning.
The Office of the Inspector General is continuing its independent investigation into this incident, and we will continue to support their work in any way requested. However, the city has also undertaken its own efforts to identify avenues of response.
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 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.
“Stevie Jones should be alive today,” Crump said. “His family deserves full transparency and a thorough, independent investigation. We will continue pressing for answers, accountability and meaningful changes so that any person experiencing a mental health crisis is met with care, compassion and de-escalation –– not deadly force.”
In a statement, Sharpton praised Arulampalam for moving to terminate Magnano. He called the decision a necessary first step and pledged to stand with the Jones family until “full justice” is delivered.
“We cannot accept a system where mental illness and the color of your skin can become a death sentence,” Sharpton said. “Mayor Arulampalam made the right call.”
According to a preliminary report released by the state inspector general, Magnano fired nine shots at Jones as he walked toward him holding a large knife on Blue Hills Avenue. The 55-year-old was critically wounded and died in a hospital four days later.
Officers were called to the area by a family member who reported that Jones was experiencing “an acute mental health crisis” and had cut himself with a knife that he was still carrying in his hand, the inspector general wrote in the report.
Body-worn camera footage from the encounter shows the first three officers who responded to the scene attempted to calm Jones as they urged him to drop the weapon. The officers can be seen backpedaling and keeping their distance from Jones.
The footage shows Magnano arriving a few moments later and advancing toward Jones with his firearm pointed directly at the man as he orders him to drop the knife. Jones can be seen ignoring the commands and moving towards Magnano before being struck by gunfire.
WARNING: Hartford Police Officer Joseph Magnano’s body camera video contains graphic content and language that may be disturbing or offensive to some viewers
In his statement, Arulampalam called the footage deeply concerning. He said he believes the initial three officers were working 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,” Arulampalam said.
Magnano was placed on administrative leave after the shooting. Arulampalam said the decision to fire the officer was made after the city took steps “to identify avenues of response.” He stressed that he is committed to reviewing the city’s public safety protocols.
Hartford Police Union President James Rutkauski, who has previously said the organization fully supports Magnano, urged Arulampalam to reverse the firing in a statement Friday.
Rutkauski argued that Magnano acted lawfully in the face of a potentially fatal threat when he opened fire, and warned the punishment sends the wrong message to the police department’s rank-and-file officers.
“Officers will now hesitate in split-second situations, not out of fear of the suspect, but out of fear of political second-guessing afterward,” Rutkauski said. “Those lost seconds will slow responses and leave families more exposed as criminals sense the weakness.”
Jones was the second city resident killed by police in a nine-day period last month. Everard Walker, 53, was fatally shot on Feb. 19 in his Capitol Avenue apartment after a family member sought help during an acute mental health crisis, according to the state inspector general.
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