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No Criminal Charges Against Officer Involved In Death Of Man Held In Police Custody

Taser International

The Office of the State's Attorney said it won't bring charges after the death of a Manchester man who was Tased and punched while in police custody. 

Jose Maldonado was 23 when he died following a confrontation in an East Hartford jail cell.

A July 2014 report from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said the cause of death was cardiac arrhythmia, following a Taser shock to the chest and a blunt injury to the head.

In the new report, state's Attorney Gail Hardy said Hartford Police Officer Jason Kaplan's use of force against Maldonado was "reasonable" to defend himself and his fellow officers. It said the Division of Criminal Justice will take no further action.

In a statement, the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut called the decision a “miscarriage of justice” and said a civil lawsuit against the East Hartford police is ongoing. 

Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. He can be reached at pskahill@ctpublic.org.

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