Joseph Magnano is charged with first-degree manslaughter after a state review found the Feb. 27 shooting was not justified.
HARTFORD, Conn. — Former Hartford police Officer Joseph Magnano is due in court Friday on a manslaughter charge tied to the fatal shooting of Steven Jones during a Feb. 27 mental health crisis on Blue Hills Avenue.
Magnano, 23, of Newington, was charged May 18 after Connecticut Inspector General Eliot Prescott’s office reviewed police video, witness accounts and the officers’ actions at the scene. Jones, 55, died four days after the shooting. The case has drawn sharp public reaction in Hartford and renewed questions about how police respond to people in crisis.
The shooting happened after officers were called to Blue Hills Avenue, where Jones was reported to be holding a knife and experiencing a severe mental health episode. Several officers arrived before Magnano and tried to get Jones to drop the knife. Video from the scene showed officers speaking to him and keeping distance as the encounter unfolded. State investigators later said Magnano arrived, drew his gun quickly and fired nine shots within 34 seconds. Another officer could be heard telling him, “Mag, Mag, Mag, chill,” as the confrontation escalated.
Prescott’s office said Magnano did not follow the slower approach used by other officers and did not first try available less-lethal options. The report said Jones was armed, but also said the facts did not support deadly force at the moment Magnano fired. Investigators said Jones was less aggressive than he had been earlier in the encounter and that Magnano had room to move back. The report concluded Magnano acted recklessly and was not legally justified in shooting Jones.
The shooting was one of two fatal Hartford police shootings within eight days involving people said to be in mental health crisis. Jones’ death brought protests, public meetings and calls for changes to police training and emergency response. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Jones’ family, has said the shooting showed the need for stronger accountability. Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam later fired Magnano, saying the officer’s actions did not meet the city’s standards.
The Hartford Police Union has defended Magnano and criticized the arrest warrant. Union President James Rutkauski said the warrant was unfair and did not fully account for the danger officers faced when Jones held the knife. Prosecutors are expected to outline the charge at arraignment, while Magnano’s defense can enter a plea or address bond conditions. He has been free on a $50,000 bond since his arrest.
Jones’ relatives have appeared publicly with his photo and described him as a loved family member whose crisis should not have ended in gunfire. Community leaders have said the case carries weight beyond one courtroom because it tests how Connecticut reviews deadly police force. Police video remains central to the case, along with the inspector general’s findings and any later court filings from prosecutors and defense lawyers.
As of Friday, the criminal case is moving from investigation to court proceedings. The next milestone is Magnano’s arraignment, where the charge, bond status and early schedule for the manslaughter case are expected to be addressed.
Author note: Last updated June 5, 2026.