SOUTH WINDSOR, Conn. — The Office of the Inspector General (IG) has concluded that The South Windsor Police Department used "reasonable force" upon an individual who died while in police custody last December and that the force used had nothing to do with the individual's death.
Kevin P. Doherty, 55, of Massachusetts, was arrested on Dec. 23, 2022, and was being held for a court date on Dec. 27. However, on Dec. 26, Doherty was found dead in a holding cell on Dec. 26, according to the IG, and an autopsy found that he intentionally choked himself to death.
Before police arrested Doherty on domestic violence charges, one officer used a stun gun on his calf, the investigation revealed.
On the day he was placed in a cell, Doherty was seen dry heaving over a toilet and his face was red, according to the IG. An officer asked him if he wanted medical attention, to which he said yes. While at Rockville General Hospital, Doherty made suicidal remarks to the hospital staff, and they advised police that Doherty would need to be seen by a crisis team, the IG said. Doherty was also diagnosed with COVID and had a 0.157 blood-alcohol level during the hospital visit, the officer who accompanied him to the hospital told investigators.
Doherty saw a social worker, and staff changed his suicide severity status from "high-risk" to "moderate risk."
On the afternoon of Dec. 24, Doherty was discharged from the hospital and was put back into his cell. An hour and a half later, he was seen trying to shove toilet paper in his throat. An officer went into the cell and took the toilet paper. Doherty tried to choke on toilet paper again on the evening of Dec. 25, the IG said.
Just after noon on Dec. 26, officers found Doherty unresponsive under his cell bench. Images from surveillance and body cam footage show his legs sticking out of his cell. He was taken to Manchester Hospital where he was pronounced dead, the IG said. The investigation determined that Doherty stuffed two socks down his throat.
The investigation established that Doherty had taken his own life and that it was not due to any police use of force against him.
The IG concluded, "The investigation establishes that the South Windsor Police Department used reasonable force in taking Kevin Doherty into custody. That force had nothing to do with his death and there was no criminal action related to the cause of his death."
Per Connecticut law, the Office of the Inspector General must investigate any deaths of people that happen while in police custody to determine whether police use of physical force had any influence on the death and if any use of force was justifiably used.
The full report from the Office of the Inspector General can be found here.
Leah Myers is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at lmyers@fox61.com
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