An attorney representing J’Allen Jones’ girlfriend and mother has made a motion to unseal a video of his beating at the hands of corrections officers at Garner Correctional Institution in Newtown, Connecticut. The motion is part of a wrongful death lawsuit filed against the state Department of Correction staff involved in the beating.
Jones, who was serving a 10-year sentence for first-degree robbery, was beaten and sprayed in the face with pepper spray. Officers also placed a bag over his head, allegedly to keep him from spitting at them. He was naked, handcuffed behind his back and shackled at his ankles at the time of the beating. The 50-minute video recorded by a corrections officer shows the officers and a nurse waited seven minutes before calling 911 or starting CPR.
An autopsy showed his injuries from the incident, and his cardiovascular disease led to his death. The chief medical examiner ruled his death a homicide.
The state has defended DOC staff. An internal investigation found they did not use excessive force and warned Jones to stop resisting before the beating. DOC officials did acknowledge that officers waited too long to start life-saving procedures.
Jones had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was being transferred to mental health observation status, according to Connecticut Hearst Media. He did not comply with a strip search, which began the deadly altercation.
The case is set for trial in February, but state lawyers are trying to get the case dismissed.
