Milford chief releases additional arrest footage of man who later died in police custody

The chief of the Milford Police Department released what he said is “all” the body camera footage of several officers involved in apprehending a larceny suspect outside a Big Y supermarket last week before he died in police custody.

“Because of the seriousness of this tragedy, I think that it is important that the public have the opportunity to view all of the body camera footage from the officer’s cameras as early as possible,” Chief Keith Mello said in a statement.

The videos Mello released Tuesday includes the body camera footage from the officers at the scene as well as security footage from Big Y. They vary from as short as just under two minutes to as long as over 20 minutes, showing the entire encounter 52-year-old Michael Brown of Bridgeport had with Milford officers on June 5 prior to his death.

“The Milford Police Department expresses its sincere condolences to the family and friends of Michael Brown,” Mello said.

The release comes days after the Connecticut Inspector General Robert Devlin Jr. authored a preliminary report on the in-custody death and released body camera footage from one of the officers involved. It also comes after activists held a protest in Milford and called for officers involved in Brown’s apprehension to be fired, accusing them of using excessive force.

Footage shows CT man who died in police custody struggling with officers during arrest

On June 5, Milford officers were dispatched to a Stop & Shop just after 10:30 a.m. on a report of someone trying to steal $648 worth of merchandise before the grocery store’s loss prevention officers identified the suspect as Brown, according to Mello. Responding officers then located the suspect’s vehicle in the parking lot of Big Y Supermarket at 150 Boston Post Road and learned that Brown had eight warrants out for his arrest, including three for failure to appear in court, Mello said.

Body camera footage released Tuesday shows multiple officers confront Brown as he is pushing a shopping cart out of Big Y. He continues to walk as he tells an officer his name is not “Michael” until he gets to a vehicle and is told not to get inside.

According to Mello, Brown allegedly gave police a fake name, but one officer recognized him from a prior interaction.

Officers immediately get into a physical struggle with Brown as he opens the door and sits in the driver’s seat, the footage shows. A second man can be seen in the passenger seat as police tell Brown to get out of the car multiple times and physically try to pull him from the vehicle, the footage shows.

Brown can be heard saying “wait, wait, wait” multiple times as a dog in the vehicle barks repeatedly, the footage shows. He can also be heard telling police his leg is broken and saying “please” several times as an officer holds onto his arm.

“I’m asking you please, I’m asking you please, bro,” Brown says.

Police struggle with Brown for about two minutes before they physically pull him from the vehicle and onto the ground as he continues to say “my leg is broken,” according to the footage.

On the ground on his stomach, Brown shouts “please” multiple times as officers try to handcuff him and at one point begins saying he “can’t breathe,” the footage shows. Once he is handcuffed, police roll him onto his back, then onto his side before putting him on his back once again.

“Help me up please,” Brown says. “Put my leg up, please.”

The bodycam footage shows Brown also asks for water and says he cannot talk without it. Police then tell him that medics are on the way as he continues to beg for water and is sat up by officers.

One officer helps Brown sit up, as he appears to struggle to do so one his own, while another officer requests someone bring him water, the footage shows. An officer gives Brown multiple sips of water and he can be heard saying “it’s not going down,” the footage shows.

Police tell Brown to relax before he asks if he can stand up. An officer advises him not to do so given the state of his leg and tells him firefighters are en route to evaluate him.

Brown at one point asks if officers can handcuff him in the front of his body, but officers tell him no, “not after what just happened,” the footage shows.

After a few minutes, Brown tells police his leg has been broken a year and that he is starting to spit up blood. Over the next few minutes he can be seen and heard spitting multiple times.

Firefighters arrived at the scene about eight minutes after officers pulled Brown from the vehicle, at which point he lies down on his back again, the footage shows. He continues to spit up for the next few minutes before emergency responders help stand him up and walk him over to a stretcher, the footage shows.

When asked what’s bothering him, Brown appears to say again that he cannot breathe before he is carted away to an ambulance.

According to Devlin’s preliminary report, Brown stopped breathing on the way to Milford Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Mello on Tuesday said medics, among other things, administered Narcan to Brown.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on Tuesday said the results of an autopsy conducted on Brown are still pending.

The death remains under investigation by Devlin’s office in accordance with the state’s police accountability laws. Mello said Milford police have given Devlin “all available information, including body camera footage, reports and arrest warrant affidavits. …”

“We welcome this investigation by the Inspector General and upon its conclusion, we will conduct our own internal review to ensure that all MPD policies were adhered to during this encounter,” Mello said. “It would not be appropriate for us to comment further while this investigation is ongoing.

“I encourage the public to withhold judgment until the final report by the Inspector General’s Office, including the findings of the Chief Medical Examiner and the toxicology results,” Mello added.