NEW HAVEN — Trauma was ruled out as a cause in the death of Samuel See, a Yale University professor found dead at a detention facility following his arrest in a domestic incident, police announced Wednesday.
A full autopsy report is pending toxicology tests.
“I am deeply saddened by the death of New Haven resident and Yale professor, Samuel See,” said Chief of Police Dean M. Esserman in a statement released Wednesday. “Most importantly, I offer my sincere and heartfelt condolences to Mr. See’s family and the Yale community, as they deal with the passing of their beloved son, husband and Professor.”
Esserman also apologized for the delay in reporting See’s death. See had been arrested Nov. 23 and was found dead the following morning, but police did not disclose any information until Nov. 27.
In addition to an investigation by the police department’s Investigative Services Unit, Esserman he has ordered an internal investigation into the circumstances surrounding See’s death.
The investigations will include a review of video from the State Marshal Detention Center and interviews and statements from all officers and judicial marshals involved in the incident, as well as medical personnel and any other potential witnesses, Esserman said.
See, an assistant professor of English and American studies, was on leave this semester.
New Haven police responded to a domestic dispute at See’s home the evening of Nov.23. Sunder Ganglani, 32, who identified himself as See’s husband, was at the home in violation of a protective order.
Ganglani told police he was retrieving his belongings. He was charged with violating a protective order.
See told officers to remove Ganglani from his home. Officers reminded him of a protective order barring See from being near Ganglani.
Police said See became enraged and yelled that he shouldn’t be arrested because he was in his own home. He fought with officers who tried handcuffing him, police said.
“I will kill you… I will destroy you,” See allegedly yelled at an officer as he was led to a police car.
See suffered a cut above his right eye when he and the officers fell during the arrest. He was treated at Yale-New Haven Hospital and was then released to New Haven police.
Officers took him to the detention facility. He was charged with violating a protective order, interfering with police and second-degree threatening.
Judicial marshals made eye contact and spoke with See, who was alone in his cell, during routine checks throughout the night, police said. See was found unresponsive at 6 a.m. on Nov. 24. Marshals performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation until medics arrived.
He was pronounce dead at 6:15 am.
On his faculty website, See wrote that his scholarship focuses on British and American modernist literature and sexuality studies.
By Hilda Muñoz, Hartford Courant