Attorney Vows To Get 'Justice' For Steven Barrier

STAMFORD, CT — Renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump received thunderous applause as he addressed Stamford community members during a public meeting regarding the death of Steven Barrier, a 23-year-old city man who died after being taken into custody by Stamford Police in October. The meeting was held Tuesday night at the Bethel A.M.E. Church in Stamford.

Crump, along with members of the Stamford NAACP, the ACLU of Connecticut and the law enforcement community, organized the meeting after twice calling for an emergency meeting of the Stamford Board of Representatives to discuss city police policies.

The group sent a letter to the board in early November, to which the city responded and said the chief of police could not comment on the case due to an ongoing investigation by the Stamford State's Attorney's Office, according to the Stamford Advocate.

"This meeting resulted from the Stamford Board of Representatives' failure to call an emergency meeting to address the community and their concerns about law enforcement and the way law enforcement handled this case," Darnell Crosland, a Stamford attorney and moderator of the meeting, said. "We had no choice but to convene, because if they won't do what they're supposed to do, we're going to have to do what we're supposed to do."

During the event, snippets of the lengthy police body camera footage released by State's Attorney Richard J. Colangelo Jr. in October was shown. At one point in the footage, an officer remarked that Barrier was faking and should receive an Oscar.

See also: Body Camera Footage Released Of Man Who Died In Police Custody: VIDEO

"When the police stand here and say Mr. Barrier should get an Oscar for playing dead," Crosland said, "I tell them they should get an Oscar for acting like they care about the people they serve."

Crump, who represented the family of Trayvon Martin and is currently representing Barrier's family, gave a passionate speech during the meeting that elicited both tears and applause from the audience.

"It just boggles the mind what these officers did that night," Crump said, "They never meant to protect and serve Steven Barrier, they just wanted to police him. Why is it that you will go protect and serve other communities, but when it comes to our community, you just want to police us?"

Barrier's mother, Valerie Jaddo, and other family members who were in attendance were escorted out of the room when portions of the body camera footage were shown. Later on, Jaddo took a moment to offer her gratitude to community members for their support.

"Thank you everyone for being here to support this family, who is in mourning right now. There are no words I could say at this point to bring my son back," Jaddo said during the event. "I just don't get it. This giant pain left in my heart...it's very hard."

See also: Lawyer Of Man Who Died In Police Custody Wants Emergency Meeting

• Advocates Of Man Who Died In Police Custody Seek Special Meeting

The footage revealed that a 911 call was received at 11:40 p.m. on Oct. 23, reporting a domestic violence incident involving Barrier at a home.

Barrier wasn't home when officers arrived, but police received text messages around 1:30 a.m. informing them he had returned to the house.

Barrier again fled when police responded, and officers chased him on foot. Barrier ran through several backyards and ended up at the Home Depot on West Main Street.

Colangelo said the body camera footage shows police taking Barrier into custody without incident. When asked to walk to a police car, Barrier told officers he was tired and was ultimately carried to a cruiser.

During the drive, Barrier asked for the air conditioning to be turned on, and an officer rolled down the car windows a bit.

After taking him out of the car, officers found that Barrier was unconscious and they carried him to a holding area. They requested medical emergency medical help, which arrived about six minutes later. Barrier was taken to Stamford Hospital, where he died at 3:10 a.m., Colangelo said.

"The color of your skin and the status of your mental health should not be the conforming factors...of whether you live or die when you have an interaction with the police," Crump said. "We will get justice for your baby, Steven Barrier...his life mattered."

The cause and manner of Barrier's death still has not been determined, however the medical examiner's preliminary findings indicated there is "no evidence of inflicted injuries," according to Colangelo. He also said there is no evidence a Taser was used by any Stamford Police officer.

See also: Stamford Mother 'Begging' For Answers About Son's Death

Two days after the incident, Jaddo said she was "begging" for answers about her son's final moments during a news conference held at Bethel AME Church in Stamford. Clergy, elected officials and representatives of the NAACP's Stamford branch were also in attendance.

"Three days ago, my son needed help," Jaddo said during the news conference. "Instead of receiving help, he lost his life. I received the news that no mother should ever have to hear. I am left with a giant pain in my heart and a thousand questions about what happened."

That same day, Mayor David Martin said in a statement he had invited community leaders, clergy, and members of the NAACP to his office a day prior to discuss the incident, along with Colangelo, Wuennemann and other officials.

Martin said he believed the community had the right to know what happened and would share all available information as soon as he was permitted by the State's Attorney's Office.

"The death of this man is an absolute tragedy," Martin said in a statement. "I sympathize with the grief his family is feeling."