An eight-hour protest was held at Stamford police headquarters Sunday, where residents demanded justice for 23-year-old Steven Barrier, who died in police custody last year.

The state's attorney closed the case after finding no use-of-force issue, but some people say that it still doesn't sit well with them.

"The city and the mayor and the Stamford Police Department have done a great job of trying to cover this up and trying to keep it on the down low for as long as possible," alleges Nicole Pleasants, of Norwalk.

Barrier's mother Valerie Jaddo was on hand, as protesters wanted to amplify her voice.

"Eleven months into this and we're getting no justice," Jaddo says.

Protesters reiterated their stance to News 12, saying that police didn't do enough to keep Barrier from dying.

"We want admission of guilt, we want them to be held accountable and we want them to be able to feel the pain that Valerie feels, 'cause her son is no longer here," says Kyla Johns, of Darien. "She doesn't get to have dinner with her son anymore because they wanted to take negligence and take his life."

Stamford police say they respect people's right to protest and officers say they remain committed to protecting everyone in the community.

Stamford Police Chief Timothy Shaw says the department now has weekly meetings with mental health experts to prevent something like this from happening again.