Hartford's police union is challenging the arrest warrant used to charge former officer Joseph Magnano with manslaughter, arguing the document contains contradictions and misused his own internal statements against him. Magnano was charged in May in the fatal shooting of Steven Jones, a Hartford man who was experiencing a mental health crisis and holding a large knife on Blue Hills Avenue when he was shot.
Jones was ordered to drop the knife multiple times before Magnano opened fire, according to the Hartford Police Union, which held a press conference Tuesday morning to detail its objections to the case. As reported by WFSB, the union says the warrant contradicted itself over whether Magnano attempted to de-escalate the confrontation before firing. Jones died from his injuries four days after the February 27 shooting, on March 3, according to Connecticut Public, which reported that Jones' sister had called 911 to report the crisis.
Magnano Was at the Scene for Less Than 30 Seconds Before Firing
Three officers arrived before Magnano. CT Mirror reported that he was at the scene for less than 30 seconds before drawing his handgun and firing nine rounds. Jones collapsed after the shots. The Connecticut Office of the Inspector General ruled on May 18 that the shooting was not justified, the office's finding that led directly to the manslaughter charge. Magnano's attorney filed a motion last week seeking a special hearing to review the arrest warrant, claiming it included misleading information, the union said at Tuesday's press conference.
The union also claimed that criminal-case investigators used an internal report Magnano had written without telling him it would be used against him in the prosecution. The group says these warrant issues need to be brought before a judge and is calling on Gov. Ned Lamont to order a review of the case. In an October public appearance, union leaders said defense attorney Patrick Tomasiewicz had filed a motion alleging the arrest warrant affidavit contained false statements, omitted facts, and improperly referenced internal statements that should have been shielded under Garrity protections, which guard against self-incrimination in internal police reports.
A Rare Prosecution Under State Reform Law
The manslaughter charge against Magnano is only the second time Connecticut's Office of the Inspector General has criminally prosecuted an officer for a civilian death since the oversight agency was created, according to CT Mirror. The office was established under Connecticut's Police Accountability Act, passed by state lawmakers in 2020 to investigate all police deadly force incidents statewide and determine whether criminal charges are warranted, per CT Mirror's reporting on the law. The agency's only previous civilian-death prosecution ended in acquittal — State Trooper Brian North was charged with manslaughter in 2022 following a fatal shooting and was later cleared by a jury.
The investigation into Magnano took roughly two and a half months. State Appellate Court Judge Eliot Prescott was appointed inspector general last year.
Termination and the Road to Trial
Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam terminated Magnano in late March, on the final day of his probationary employment period, a decision that prompted the Hartford Police Union to file a wrongful termination grievance. The case has continued to move through Hartford Superior Court since the charge was filed. The case was delayed until November; expert reports were expected.
With that November court date approaching, the union's challenge to the arrest warrant adds a new layer of legal wrangling before the case can move toward trial.
