A state judge in Hartford on Friday ordered the release of video footage that captures the final moments of J’Allen Jones, a Connecticut prison inmate who died in 2018 after correctional officers struck him repeatedly, stripped him, placed a spit bag over his head and sprayed pepper spray at his face. The 52-minute video was made public after a years-long legal battle during which the Department of Correction had insisted the footage remain sealed.
The video shows Jones handcuffed behind his back, and later with his legs shackled, as officers hit his legs and torso with their knees and fists, according to descriptions of the footage. The incident began after Jones refused a strip search while in the midst of a mental health crisis, court records show.
Jones’ family filed a civil lawsuit against eight correctional officers and a nurse over the death. The judge overseeing the case in Hartford granted the release of the video after both sides in the litigation agreed to certain redactions.
The Department of Correction had sought to keep the video sealed since 2019, arguing in part that its release could present security problems because it shows the physical layout of the prison and staffing patterns. The family, the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut and local NAACP officials pushed for public release, saying transparency was needed in Jones’ death.
The video depicts the series of events that unfolded before Jones died, including officers using pepper spray directed at his face while he was restrained. The lawsuit remains pending in state court.