STAMFORD, Conn. — State's Attorney Richard Colangelo Jr. has ruled that the death of a Stamford man while in police custody was from natural causes.
According to the investigation, police were called to a house in Stamford on the report of a domestic violence incident involving 23-year-old Steven Barrier.
“I got into a fight with this boy because he is a problem, okay? I’m ready to press charges because he needs to be locked up!” said Barrier’s mother on released 911 tapes.
When police arrived, Barrier was gone. His family was told to call them if he returned.
Nearly an hour and a half after the initial 911 call, dispatch received a text message that Barrier was back at the residence. While the person who texted 911 was talking with dispatch, officers began to respond back to the home on West Avenue.
As officers were arriving, Barrier reportedly fled the home again. Police chased him on foot. According to the investigation, Barrier ran through several backyards, hopped fences, and ultimately wound up at Home Depot on West Main Street.
RELATED: Office of the State’s Attorney release body cam footage for Stamford man who died in police custody
Video from body cameras had shown that Barrier was taken into custody without incident and said he was tired while escorted to the cruiser.
Police carried him to the car and the officer is heard asking if he's going to the hospital or police department. He was instructed to go to the department. According to the investigation, as they were driving, Barrier had asked for the air conditioning to be turned on.
Arriving at the Stamford Police Department, Barrier had lost consciousness. The officers carried him to the holding area and asked for medical assistance.
The investigation showed that EMS arrived about five minutes later, and Barrier was taken to Stamford Hospital. He did not regain consciousness and was pronounced dead at 3:10 a.m.
An autopsy was performed on Barrier several hours later, and the medical examiner determined the cause of death to be Atheroscloerotic Corareny Artery Disease, and Barrier's death was natural. According to the medical examiner, there was no evidence of inflicted injuries on Barrier.
There were questions if police had deployed a taser on Barrier. The State's Attorney's office said that while there was no evidence there was a taser injury to Barrier, they analyzed the tasers of the officers working that night. The investigation confirmed no tasers were deployed.
The State's Attorney said that there was no indication of any firearm use, taser use, pepper spray use, or any physical blows during the incident.
The State's Attorney released a statement following the findings:
“We extend our condolences to Mr. Barrier’s family on their tragic loss. The State’s Attorney’s Office has been in contact with the family to assure that they are kept aware of the investigation. I have shared the body-worn camera video with the family and the public. I received the final autopsy report on January 3, 2020. I have reviewed all of the police reports, body-worn camera video, investigative reports, and medical records. There is no evidence that there was any force used to take Mr. Barrier into custody and his death was the result of natural causes. I will not be releasing any additional footage as it includes the medical treatment of Mr. Barrier. “