WOLCOTT, Conn. — Editor's Note: Video above originally aired on Nov. 4, 2023.
The use of stun guns and the actions of Wolcott police during a call at a local residence last autumn did not contribute to what became an in-custody death, the Office of the Inspector General concluded Friday.
The 11-month investigation into the in-custody death of Robert Scott Brown, 52, evaluated the amount of self-harm Brown inflicted upon himself, as well as the actions of the police officers interacting with him.
Around 3:45 a.m. on Oct. 31, 2023, Wolcott police were dispatched to a home on Tyrell Drive on a report of a man having a psychiatric issue and had broken a window. Responding officers found Brown on a bedroom floor with multiple wounds that appeared to be self-inflicted, according to the report.
Brown resisted efforts to get medical help and slashed at officers with a razor and a large saw, the IG said. Police spent around 30 minutes trying to get Brown to cooperate with them, the IG said. Bristol police then arrived to assist, and that's when two Wolcott officers deployed their stun guns on Brown. Officer John O'Dea tried to deploy the stun gun but the cartridge would not deploy. Officer Michael Relva deployed his stun gun toward Brown six times in a 25-minute span, according to the report.
Brown was then put in handcuffs and EMTs gave Brown a shot of ketamine before putting him in an ambulance. He was pronounced dead just after 5 a.m. at the hospital.
An autopsy was performed on Brown, and the examiner concluded that Brown's cause of death was suicide from the wounds on his neck and arm. The examiner found that some of the blunt force injuries detected were from where the stun gun hit, but described those spots as "superficial abrasions."
The report concludes that Brown lost too much blood from his self-inflicted wounds and that by the time police got Brown in an ambulance, it was too late.
A loved one of Brown said he had not been taking his prescribed mental health medications. The family member found Brown bleeding in the bedroom and called 911 after he started throwing a piece of furniture across the room.
"The investigation establishes that Robert Scott Brown’s in-custody death was not the result of police use of force or criminal action. The Office of Inspector General will take no further action in this matter," said Inspector General Robert J. Devlin Jr. in his report.
The full report from the Office of the Inspector General can be found here.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Death of Wolcott man after police officer uses stun gun under investigation of Inspector General
---
Do you have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
---
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
Apple App Store: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Stream Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.