Inspector General Says Hartford Officer Justified in Everard Walker Shooting

A Connecticut Office of Inspector General investigation concluded that a Hartford police officer was legally justified in shooting and killing 53-year-old Everard Walker during a mental health crisis in February.

The report, released Tuesday by Inspector General Eliot Prescott, determined that Officer Alexander Clifford’s use of deadly force was an “objectively reasonable” response to Walker’s imminent threat to others, according to Connecticut Public.

While the state has cleared the officer of wrongdoing, the Walker family and their legal team are already preparing to challenge the conclusion through civil litigation.

The events inside the Capitol Avenue home

The investigation reconstructs a chaotic scene that began on the morning of February 19, when Walker’s son called 211 to report that his father was experiencing a mental health crisis. Social workers and police officers arrived at the apartment on Capitol Avenue, where Walker initially allowed his children, Jahdane and Nzinga, into the home before closing the door on the responders.

According to the report from Inspector General Prescott, a physical struggle broke out between Walker and his son after Walker attempted to close the door again. Officers entered the apartment to separate the two men. The report states that Walker then took a pot off the stove and gestured as if he intended to throw the hot liquid at the officers.

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As officers retreated from the apartment, a struggle involving Walker’s children and the police ensued. The report indicates that Walker then began swinging a knife toward an officer, prompting Clifford to open fire. Autopsy results included in the report show Walker was struck by four gunshots to his torso, neck, and right upper extremity.

“I have determined that such use of force by Clifford was objectively reasonable and legally justified,” Prescott wrote in the final report. He concluded that his office would take no further action regarding the matter.

A family’s fight for accountability

At a gathering at Hartford City Hall on Tuesday, the family’s attorney, Jose Rojas, argued that the presence of armed officers was the primary failure in this crisis.

Hartford officer justified in shooting, family plans lawsuit

“This family wanted mental health providers,” Rojas said. “Instead, they ended up getting an army of police officers that were determined to enter into a home to which they were not welcome.”

Menen, Walker’s daughter, emphasized that the family had requested support specifically for mental health, not a police intervention. She noted that if they had been informed that officers would be responding, they would have declined the assistance. She also highlighted the racial dimension of the encounter, stating that her father was a Black man with locs who was experiencing psychosis.

“They did not give him compassion. What they saw was a Black man, and they didn’t see the pain he was enduring,” Menen said.

Rojas said the state's investigation precedes a larger legal battle. “This final report is not the end of this investigation,” Rojas said. “It is the beginning.”

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Comparing recent Hartford police shootings

The Walker shooting is one of several Hartford police shootings to draw scrutiny this year. The scrutiny surrounding Walker’s death is intensified by the outcome of a similar incident that occurred just eight days prior.

Incident Date	Individual Involved	Circumstances	Investigative Outcome
February 2026	Everard Walker	Mental health crisis; knife involved	Officer’s use of force ruled justified
February 2026	Steven “Stevie” Jones	Mental health crisis; knife involved	Officer charged with manslaughter

In the case of Steven Jones, who was shot on Blue Hills Avenue, Inspector General Prescott concluded the use of force was not justified, leading to manslaughter charges against Officer Joseph Magnano.

Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam responded to the report by stating that the city’s own investigation into the matter is still to come. He noted that the city will conduct its own review pursuant to local policy and reiterated a commitment to building a police force rooted in community trust.

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