Jailed Connecticut man's death ruled drug withdrawal-induced cardiac arrest

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The cause of death for a man who was found unresponsive in his Connecticut jail cell and died days later at a hospital was cardiac arrest caused by drug withdrawal, not an officer's use of force, according to a state investigation's findings released Friday.

Autopsies determined that 37-year-old Joseph Torrice died July 18 of cardiac arrest caused by a withdrawal from opioids and other drugs, the state Office of Inspector General found.

Manchester police arrested Torrice on July 8 for allegedly interfering with an officer and on drug offenses. Police also learned that he was also wanted on an extraditable felony warrant for burglary and larceny in New York, where authorities say he was supposed to be taking part in a prison reintegration program. Torrice, who resisted officers’ efforts to take him into custody, was ultimately pinned to the ground before being handcuffed, according to the report.

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During transport to police headquarters, Torrice complained of a headache and was later taken to Manchester Memorial Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a concussion, according to the report. He also had a small bump on his head.

A Connecticut man found dead in his jail cell was determined to have died of withdrawal-induced cardiac arrest.

Based on hospital records, he did not tell doctors that he was prescribed suboxone, a drug that helps people recover from opioid addiction, the report says.

On July 10, police found Torrice unresponsive on the floor of his cell. According to the report, police officials pulled him out of the cell and performed CPR. He was then transported to Hartford Hospital, where he died eight days later.

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In a 12-minute video released by the office, Torrice can be seen rolling out of his bed in his cell and later becoming motionless on the floor. About 10 minutes later, police enter the cell and drag him by his feet to the entrance, where they appear to check his pulse before the video ends.

According to the report, police agencies should make efforts to allow an arrestee to continue using drugs like naloxone to combat an opioid overdose.

The death was also investigated by the Connecticut State Police Eastern District Major Crime Squad.

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Connecticut’s Office of Inspector General was created in 2021 to investigate incidents involving the possible use of excessive force by police or cases in which police or correctional officers may have failed to properly intervene in an incident that results in a death in police custody.