Yale Professor Samuel See Found Dead In Jail Cell

Samuel See

New Haven detectives are investigating the sudden death of a Yale professor who was being held in a cell at the Union Avenue Detention Facility.

Police said Samuel See, 34, of New Haven.  was arrested on Saturday night. On Sunday, he was found unresponsive in his cell and later pronounced deceased.

Police went to See's home after receiving a complaint of a domestic dispute at 5:15 p.m. Saturday.

According to police, See's husband, Saunder Ganglani, 32, of New Haven, had gone to See's home to retrieve his belongings despite a protective order that was in place.

Ganglani told officers that he’d spent about two and a half hours at the house on Saturday before police responded.

Officers charged Ganglani with violating the protective order and spoke with See, who told police to remove Ganglani from the home, police said.

As officers were speaking with See, they mentioned there is also a protective order filed for See to stay away from Ganglani and See “became enraged," police said.

He yelled that it was his house, said he shouldn't be arrested and fought with the officers when they tried handcuffing him.

As he was being brought to the cruiser, he yelled "I will kill you. … I will destroy you" to one of the officers, police said.

See had suffered a cut over his eye and police called for EMS to evaluate him, police said.

An ambulance transported See to Yale-New Haven Hospital, where he was treated.

After being released, he was placed in police custody, taken to the detention facility and charged with violating a protective order, interfering with Police and threatening in the second degree.

Detectives from the New Haven Police Department are investigating the death.

"Mr. Samuel See was delivered to the detention center on Nov. 23 at approximately 9:10 p.m. by New Haven Police and was alert and communicating with Judicial Marshals throughout  his detainment until Marshals assigned to the detention center found him non-responsive in his cell at approximately 6 a.m. on Nov. 24. Marshals  immediately provided CPR and other lifesaving efforts, until relieved by New Haven Fire and Rescue," Rhonda Stearley-Hebert, program manager of communications for the Connecticut Judicial Branch, said in an e-mailed statement.

See was an assistant professor of English and American Studies who was on leave this semester.

"The University community is deeply saddened to learn of the death of Samuel See. Our condolences go out to his family, faculty colleagues, and students, and his friends at Yale and elsewhere," a statement from Yale says.

The school is encouraging anyone at Yale who needs support to reach out to friends in the community or to use university resources that are available for consultation and counseling, including the university chaplain.

Students can seek help from Yale Mental Health and Counseling . Staff can seek help from Magellan Health Services.