'He was not moving:' Family questions officers handling of son's arrest before his death

The family of the Stamford man who died while in police custody says they still have questions on how police handled the arrest that preceded his death.

News 12 Staff

Oct 31, 2019, 2:12 AM

Updated 1,637 days ago

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The family of the Stamford man who died while in police custody says they still have questions on how police handled the arrest that preceded his death.

They say Steven Barrier suffered from mental health issues and should have been brought to the hospital and not the police department.
The family told News 12 they are disturbed by what they see as a lack of empathy displayed by officers.

"When I saw the video, my son was just laying ... was not moving at all. My son was not resisting, my son was unconscious," said Valerie Jaddo. "I mean I don't know what happened but his muscles ... nothing moved. Everything was all ceased up, cramped. He was like a log rolling around."

Police have not spoken on camera about the arrest.

Immediately after the incident they released a statement saying they were called to the home twice by family members scared by Barrier's behavior. The person who called 911 described him as a "menace to society."
The state's attorney is investigating the incident.
 


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