State investigators said former Officer Joseph Magnano fired nine times shortly after reaching the Blue Hills Avenue scene.
HARTFORD, Conn. — A fatal police shooting that shook Hartford in February moves into court Friday as former Officer Joseph Magnano faces arraignment on a first-degree manslaughter charge in the death of Steven Jones.
The charge follows a state use-of-force investigation that found Magnano’s decision to shoot was reckless and unjustified. Jones, a 55-year-old Black man, was shot Feb. 27 on Blue Hills Avenue while relatives said he was in mental distress. He died days later at Saint Francis Hospital, turning the encounter into one of Hartford’s most closely watched police accountability cases this year.
Police were called after reports that Jones had a knife. Body-camera footage showed officers trying to slow the situation before Magnano arrived. They ordered Jones to drop the knife and used distance while speaking with him. A Taser attempt did not end the encounter. State investigators said Magnano reached the scene after those efforts were already underway, pointed his firearm and shot Jones nine times within less than a minute. The report said Magnano did not make a meaningful effort to de-escalate before firing.
The inspector general’s review focused on whether Jones posed an immediate deadly threat when Magnano pulled the trigger. The findings said Jones had moved toward officers but was not acting with the same level of aggression seen earlier. Investigators also noted that other officers had kept their firearms lowered for much of the encounter and that Magnano had other options, including retreating or using less-lethal force. The office concluded the shooting did not meet the legal standard for justified deadly force.
The case quickly widened beyond the facts of one police call. Jones’ family, joined by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, spoke publicly after the shooting and after Magnano’s arrest. Crump has called the video evidence a key part of the family’s push for accountability. Local activists also linked Jones’ death to the Feb. 19 police killing of Everard Walker, another Hartford man who was said to be in crisis when officers responded.
Hartford officials took action before the criminal case reached court. Mayor Arunan Arulampalam fired Magnano about a month after the shooting. Police union leaders later pushed back against the criminal charge, saying Magnano faced a dangerous situation and should not have been arrested. Union President James Rutkauski said the warrant left out facts favorable to the former officer. The disagreement now shifts to court, where prosecutors must prove the manslaughter charge under state law.
Magnano, 23, has been free on $50,000 bond since he was charged May 18. At arraignment, the court can confirm the charge, review release conditions and set future dates. The defense also may challenge parts of the warrant or the state’s reading of the video. No trial date has been announced. The inspector general’s report, police video and witness statements are expected to remain central as the case moves forward.
For Jones’ family, Friday’s hearing marks the first formal court step after months of grief, protests and official review. For Hartford, it is another public test of how the city handles police force, mental health calls and demands for accountability after a death on a neighborhood street.
Author note: Last updated June 5, 2026.