Report Released On Man Who Died In Milford Police Custody

MILFORD, CT — A state investigation into the death of a man in custody found that Milford police were not at fault, according to the report from the Office of the Inspector General.

The results released Tuesday were regarding the arrest of Michael Brown at a Big Y parking lot in Milford on June 5, 2024.

Police sought Brown after he stole nearly $650 worth of cleaning supplies from the Stop & Shop on Bridgeport Avenue, according to the report. There were also eight outstanding warrants for his arrest.

Police found Brown in the Big Y parking lot; he ignored the officers' directions to stop and entered his car. Police physically removed him from the car and placed him in handcuffs as he continued to resist arrest, according to the report.

Brown complained of shortness of breath and leg pain. Police summoned medical help from the Milford Fire Department, who responded and provided medical aid.

While they did so, Brown's condition worsened. By the time he got to the hospital, Brown was in cardiac arrest.

He was later pronounced dead after medical staff "made multiple efforts" to revive him.

The report found that the officers who responded were "appropriately attempting to take Brown into custody" and that he was "uncooperative."

"The officers did not use excessive force in extracting him from the vehicle he was in, nor in placing him in handcuffs," the report reads. "His medical reaction was not due to the officers' use of force but to his precarious medical condition which, under the stress of the struggle, caused Brown to go into cardiac arrest."

The inspector general found that Brown's death was not due to excessive force or any criminality.

Read the full report from the Office of the Inspector General by clicking here.