Adrian Kulesza, Staff Photographer

The New Haven Police Department is investigating three deaths that were first reported on Monday. Two men were found dead in a storage space on College St, and a third person was found dead near East Rock Park.

NHPD officers responded to a 911 call at approximately 12:03 p.m. on College Street and Crown Street downtown. There, in a storage space in the back alley behind Jack’s Bar and Steakhouse, they found two unresponsive men in their mid to late 50s. The two men were confirmed dead on arrival. A third victim was rushed to the hospital by ambulance, where police say the person is expected to make a full recovery. NHPD has reported that they are investigating the incident as a case of drug abuse and overdose. NHPD Assistant Chief Karl Jacobson said in a press conference that the two men were affiliated with the nearby Jack’s Bar and Steakhouse and that police do not believe foul play was involved.

“We would say to people thinking about using drugs in the area to use extreme caution until we can figure out what this is,” Jacobson said at the press conference.

Jacobson said the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will perform an autopsy on the bodies by Tuesday morning.

Initial reports incorrectly claimed that the bodies were found inside 200 College Street, an apartment complex home to several Yale undergraduates.

A 1:37 p.m. Yale Alert asked the community to avoid the area while the investigation was ongoing. Yale Police Chief Ronnell Higgins and Yale spokesperson Karen Peart referred the News to the NHPD for comment.

The incident at College Street was the second NHPD investigation where officers found dead bodies in the city on Monday. Earlier in the day, a body was found near East Rock Park in the area of Farnam Drive and Orange Street.

NHPD is currently investigating the cause of the dead body. Jacobson said that it appears as if the body was moved to the park after the individual had died. He added that it does not appear to be a drug-related death. The two incidents are not believed to be related.

There were 1,032 drug overdose deaths confirmed in the state of Connecticut over the first 11 months of 2020.


Razel Suansing | razel.suansing@yale.edu

RAZEL SUANSING
Razel Suansing is a staff reporter and producer for the City, YTV, and Magazine desks. She covers cops and courts, specifically state criminal justice reform efforts, the New Haven Police Department, and the Yale Police Department. Originally from Manila, Philippines, she is a first-year in Davenport College, majoring in Global Affairs.