Fire-alarm suspect was not in brawl, lawyer says

The attorney representing the man charged with pulling the fire alarm at a University of Connecticut dance where football star Jasper Howard was killed is asking that his client not be linked to the murder.

Jonathan Budlong, the Hartford attorney representing Jamal Todd, the 21-year-old charged with pulling the alarm Oct. 18, issued a statement saying the state and national media should stop linking Todd to the death of Howard.

Todd, of Hartford, is a student in “good standing” at the Eastern Connecticut State University and is scheduled to graduate in May, said Budlong.
Budlong said in a statement released Wednesday that recent media reports claim Todd worked with John W. Lomax III and Hakim Muhammad - the men arrested for their roles in Howard’s murder.

The Chronicle has not made such a claim.

“Jamal was not involved in the death of Mr. Howard and he is not associated, in any fashion, with John W. Lomax III or Hakim Muhammad,” said Budlong.
Previously, UConn police said they did not find any connection between the fire alarm activation and Howard’s stabbing. University police could not be reached for comment this morning.

UConn police charged Todd with reckless endangerment and falsely reporting an incident Tuesday.

He was released on $5,000 bond and is due in Rockville Superior Court Nov. 10.

Police said he is the individual who activated a fire alarm at the Student Union during the West Indian Student Organization dance that Howard was attending.

According to police, nearly 300 students and non-student evacuated the building.

Once outside, an altercation between a group of students and non-students occurred. It was during that altercation Howard was stabbed.

Police arrested Lomax and Muhammad Tuesday as well.

Lomax has been charged with murder and conspiracy to commit assault in the first-degree. Muhammad has been charged with conspiracy to commit assault in the first-degree.

Both men are from Bloomfield.

“We can confirm that Jamal recognizes that the charges pending against him are serious and that he has been accused of pulling the fire alarm at the UConn Student Union,” said Budlong.

Budlong said Todd has been cooperative with police during the investigation and has provided a statement to police disclosing “all information” he knows pertaining to the events of Oct.18.

“Unfortunately, and by pure coincidence, Jamal was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and only because of the unforeseeable criminal actions of others is Jamal now being associated with these two men,” said Budlong.
Lomax and Muhammad were arraigned Wednesday in Rockville Superior Court.

Immediately following the arraignment, Lomax family friend and spokesman Alfonzo Stokes, of East Hartford, said he did not believe Lomax and Muhammad knew Todd.

“I can’t say if they know Todd,” he said, adding he only knew Lomax and Muhammad had planned to go to the university-sponsored party together.