J'Allen Jones, a 31-year-old Black inmate from Atlanta serving a 10-year robbery sentence at Connecticut's Garner Correctional Institution, died on March 25, 2018, after correctional officers struck him multiple times, placed a spit bag over his head and sprayed pepper spray at his face during what court documents describe as a schizophrenic episode.
Background
Jones was incarcerated at the Garner Correctional Institution in Newtown, approximately 25 miles west of New Haven. According to court documents, correctional officers were attempting to escort Jones to a medical unit within the prison for treatment of his mental illness when the confrontation occurred. The incident took place on March 25, 2018, but details of what transpired inside that facility remained largely concealed from public view until now.
Jones' family filed a lawsuit against eight correctional officers and a prison nurse in 2019, alleging excessive force and wrongful death. The American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut and local NAACP officials joined calls for the video's release, arguing transparency was essential in understanding Jones' death. After years of legal proceedings and negotiations over redactions between both parties, a state judge in Hartford ordered the footage released on Friday.
The Investigation
The 52-minute video shows Jones handcuffed behind his back — and later with his legs shackled — as officers repeatedly struck his legs and torso with their knees and fists after he refused a strip search. At one point, an officer pins him down on a bed with a knee on his back while others hold him down.
Throughout the video, Jones is heard yelling, much of it unintelligible due to his schizophrenic episode. He repeatedly shouts phrases including "In the blood of Jesus Christ!" Officers can be heard telling Jones numerous times to stop resisting and to calm down, with one officer stating they were simply trying to help him.
Approximately 17 minutes into the recording, Jones appears to start having difficulty breathing after a spit bag was placed over his head and he was pepper sprayed. Nearly five minutes later, Jones appears unconscious as officers struggle to hold him upright and seat him in a wheelchair. Around the 24-minute mark, an officer requests a nurse evaluate Jones.
"Right now he's just being dead weight, and I just want to make sure he's OK," the officer says while speaking to a camera held by another officer.
At approximately the 28-minute mark, a nurse begins performing CPR. An officer orders someone over the radio to call 911. Emergency medical personnel do not arrive until more than 43 minutes into the video. Jones was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
The Office of the Medical Examiner determined the cause of death as "sudden death during struggle and restraint with chest compression and pepper spray exposure in person with hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease." The manner of death was ruled a homicide — a designation that indicates someone else's actions contributed to the death but does not necessarily mean a crime was committed.
In January 2019, a state prosecutor investigating Jones' death determined no crimes were committed by any officers. An internal Correction Department investigation similarly concluded that excessive force was not used. However, investigators found that the eight officers and nurse violated department policy by failing to recognize for more than seven minutes that Jones was in medical distress — though the report noted this failure was not intentional.
The nine staff members received punishment in the form of one-day suspensions without pay, according to Correction Department records.
Key Takeaways
- J'Allen Jones, 31, died at Garner Correctional Institution on March 25, 2018, during an apparent schizophrenic episode while officers attempted to transport him for mental health treatment
- The 52-minute video shows officers striking Jones with knees and fists, placing a spit bag over his head and spraying pepper spray at his face before he lost consciousness
- A state prosecutor determined no criminal charges were warranted in January 2019
- Internal investigation found excessive force was NOT used but staff violated policy by failing to recognize medical distress for more than seven minutes
- Nine staff members received one-day suspensions without pay as punishment
- The medical examiner ruled Jones' death a homicide, citing struggle, restraint and pepper spray exposure combined with pre-existing cardiovascular disease
What's Next
The lawsuit filed by Jones' family against the eight officers and nurse is expected to proceed through civil court. Ron Murphy, an attorney representing Jones' family, said he hopes the video's release leads to improvements within Connecticut's prison system regarding how staff respond to inmates experiencing mental health crises.
"I hope everyone who chooses to watch the video does so with an open heart, remembering that J'Allen Jones was a father and a son and that his family grieves every day," Murphy said in a statement following the video's release.
Connecticut Correction Department Interim Commissioner Sharonda Carlos stated that the agency is implementing improvements to mental health training for staff and appointed a psychiatrist to lead inmate medical services in May. No criminal proceedings against the officers have been filed.