Officers not responsible for man’s death in police custody, CT inspector general rules
The yearlong investigation into the death of a Wolcott man whom police reportedly found in a room covered in his own blood has been ruled a suicide.
According to findings from the Office of the Inspector General , 52-year-old Robert Scott Brown died due to blood loss from "multiple self-inflicted wounds" in the early morning hours of Halloween in 2023 after refusing police attempts to get him medical attention.
At the time, Brown's mother had heard furniture moving and the sounds of breaking glass in her son's room, she told police. She saw blood on the floor and called 911. According to the report, her son, who was her primary caregiver and schizophrenic, had recently been behaving strangely and had made ominous statements.
When police arrived around 3:45 a.m., Brown was reportedly surrounded by blood but had stopped bleeding and was combative with officers.
"Brown resisted officers' efforts to get him medical help. He slashed at the officers, first with a razor and later with a large saw," the report said.
After officers told Brown multiple times to drop the blade, they repeatedly tried to tase him but Brown cut the wires to the taser, the report said. When they were unable to take him into custody, Wolcott officers called Bristol Police and waited for their arrival.
Once Bristol Police arrived, Brown was taken into custody and ketamine was administered. Brown died "within minutes of his arrival" at Saint Mary's Hospital in Waterbury, the Inspector General's report said. Lifesaving measures were performed but were unsuccessful, the report said. He was pronounced dead at 5:04 a.m.
"The investigation establishes that Brown's death was not due to any use of force by the police, nor did Brown die as a result of criminal action involving the use of force by the police. The investigation supports the conclusion of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner that the cause of Brown's death was suicide," the report said.
According to the toxicology report, Brown tested positive for an antidepressant, Delta THC, ketamine, and oxycodone. Brown's mother had indicated that "lately he not been taking his prescribed mental health medication."
The associate medical examiner who performed an autopsy on Brown said neither the taser deployments nor the drugs in Brown's system were likely factors in his death. She said that Brown died by suicide due to mental illness.
Brown's obituary said he died after a long term illness and was predeceased by his wife, father and brothers:
"Scott was a lifelong resident of Wolcott, where he was an Independent Contractor of masonry and landscaping services. Scott had a passion for fishing Cape Cod, the beach, masonry, stonework, and landscaping. He had a creative and talented mind, as an artist making carvings and drawings, and mechanically inclined that he could fix anything. He was a caring and helpful spirit often lending his time, energy and talents to anyone in need. He had a deep admiration and love for his mother ... whom in her time of need, he was unwavering with his dedication to taking care of her and her many personal everyday needs."
