A federal lawsuit was filed this week alleging that excessive use of force and indifference by Stamford police resulted in the death of a mentally ill 23-year-old man in 2019.
Steven Barrier’s family, their lawyer and the Connecticut Legal Rights Project said the city’s policies led to indifference to Barrier’s need for treatment.
In police body camera video released by the Stamford state’s attorney, some of Barrier s last words can be heard as he tells police he can’t get up and is too tired to walk while officers shout at him. He died that night in police custody.
The mother of a Black man who died in police custody on his 23rd birthday in 2019 has joined with advocates for people with psychiatric disabilities to sue the Stamford Police Department in federal court, saying her son died after officers chased him in the rain, handcuffed him, dragged him down a muddy hill and failed to get him medical help when he became unconscious in a police car.
The lawsuit seeks damages and the establishment of a community mental health crisis team. Author: FOX61 Staff Updated: 10:36 PM EDT March 16, 2021
STAMFORD, Conn. A wrongful death lawsuit accuses Stamford, Connecticut, police of using excessive force on a mentally ill man and failing to immediately get him emergency medical care after he was taken into custody in October 2019. Steven Barrier died on his 23rd birthday after becoming unresponsive in a police cruiser.
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday by Barrier s mother and the Connecticut Legal Rights Project. Body camera video shows officers making jokes as Barrier lay unconscious in a holding room.
Stamford PD chief to present findings of probe into protest clash
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Photo: Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media
STAMFORD The police chief is expected Monday to present findings of an internal affairs investigation into an early August demonstration that resulted in altercations between police officers and protesters and the arrest of six people.
Police Chief Tim Shaw, who will make the presentation to the Stamford Police Commission, said this week he would not “prematurely” comment about the findings of the investigation.
Several protesters and police officers were injured in the incident. Leaders of the protest group did not respond to a request for comment this week or declined to speak.