State Slams Hartford PD After Suspect's Death Last Year: Report

HARTFORD, CT — State officials cleared the Hartford Police Department of any criminal wrongdoing related to the death of a suspect while in custody last year.

But the Connecticut Office of the Inspector General — in a 26-page report released Thursday afternoon — said officers could have done a lot more to help a 49-year-old female suspect who was in distress while in custody in April 2024.

She died after spending two days in a police holding cell.

Linda Praylow, 49, of Hartford, was charged and taken into custody on Friday, April 5, 2024, on an arrest warrant for sixth-degree larceny; failure to appear in court; fourth-degree larceny; and violation of probation, according to the report.

Unable to post her $15,000 bond at the time, Praylow was held at HPD headquarters over the weekend.

At about 3:30 a.m. on April 7, 2024, Praylow was found unresponsive, lying on her back in the middle of the cell with no pulse, according to the report.

Rushed to Saint Francis Hospital in Hartford, Praylow was pronounced dead later that morning, according to a report filed by Connecticut Inspector General Robert J. Devlin Jr.

According to a state medical examiner, the cause of death was a deadly mix of fentanyl and cocaine, combined with withdrawal symptoms that were worsened by cardiovascular disease, reads Devlin's report.

Devlin said Praylow's death was not caused by any physical mistreatment on the part of police.

While officers on duty were not criminally charged, Devlin did say they could have done more to monitor and aid Praylow's physical condition, which deteriorated over that weekend.

"The autopsy examination classified her death as accidental due to acute fentanyl intoxication," wrote Devlin in his report. "The investigation establishes that Linda Praylow likely consumed fentanyl while held in custody. This, coupled with her underlying cardiovascular disease, caused her death."

The report states whenever a suspect dies while in police custody, investigators are automatically called in to determine if any action on the part of the police caused the problem.

Devlin said that wasn't the case and, as a result, no charges will be filed.

But, he said, officers on duty could have done more to help Praylow, whose physical symptoms throughout the weekend included bouts of vomiting and diarrhea, requiring an extensive cleanup of a holding cell and her having to be moved to another.

"Although the Hartford detention officers should have been more attentive, Linda Praylow’s death was not due to any physical force used by the police, nor to criminal action on their part or the part of anyone else," wrote Devlin.

According to Devlin's report, Praylow had a medical history of PTSD, schizophrenia, hypertension, arthritis, and asthma — on top of drug problems.

Said Devlin of Prayhow's situation and what transpired last April: "This is a sad case."

In his report, Devlin said officers on duty reported no signs of distress before her death.

But, Devlin said, the video of Praslow in the cell "tells a different story. It shows that Praylow was not sleeping but restlessly moving about."

In the report's final analysis, Devlin had harsh words for the Hartford Police Department officers on duty that night.

"Given the fact that she had been sick earlier and reported using drugs just before her arrest, the detention staff should have done more to address her needs. She should have been taken to the hospital on Saturday evening when detention staff had to clean her cell, notwithstanding her statement that she did not want to go," wrote Devlin.

"Detention staff should have been more attentive. At a minimum, they should have monitored more carefully the cell block camera for cell #67. Had they done that, they would have detected her lying on her back motionless for 15 minutes before any officer entered her cell."

Because Praylow's death was "not the result of the use of physical force by a peace officer nor the result of criminal action," no further action will be taken on the matter, Devlin wrote.

For the full, 26-page report released by the Connecticut Officer of the Inspector General, click on this link.