A man who was found dead in an empty office at a Yale New Haven Health clinic last week was a squatter who had been living there, according to police.
Police found the man, 38-year-old Hassau Powell, in an unused office on the sixth floor last Monday.
They said Powell had been a squatter at the health clinic on Howard Avenue, but they do not know how long he had been there.
“It does not appear that he was a danger to anyone at the hospital,” Christian Bruckhart, the public information officer for the New Haven Police Department, said.
“There’s nothing suspicious about the death, so it does not appear to be anything malicious. He appears to have suffered a medical emergency of some kind,” Bruckhart said.
Yale New Haven Hospital said New Haven Police are leading the investigation and deferred to law enforcement.
“There was no threat to staff or patients and we continue to partner with the New Haven Police as their investigation continues,” the statement said.
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Some people said more security is needed and they hope frequent security checks are done.
Yale New Haven Health did not responded to follow-up questions about security protocol.
New Haven Police said they aren’t familiar with the security procedures at the clinic but it does seem like security could be a challenge.
“Some of these buildings are huge. You have thousands of people going in and out on a daily basis,” Bruckhart said.
Police said Powell's family has been notified.
They are waiting on the toxicology report from the chief medical examiner to determine the cause and manner of his death.
