Greenwich emergency services sued for forcible use of chemical restraint

It happened Sunday May 28, on Memorial weekend in 2023 during an altercation on Ivey Street in the Byram neighborhood of Greenwich. Jack Nastahowski, 59, of Stamford was hit in the head with a rock or a glass bottle.

Greenwich first responders were called to the scene and advised Nastahowski that he should get stitches. He was visibly and audibly upset. They gave him 30 minutes to continue to roam the area and verbally vent his frustration about having been struck in the head.

When first responders insisted he travel to the hospital by ambulance and not by police car as he insisted, Nastahowski got upset again. Responders injected 400mg of Ketamine (horse sedative) to calm him down. Nastahowski, who had ingested an opiate earlier in the day and had a sleep apnea implant, suffered acute respiratory failure following the shot. He was hospitalized for seven days and required 9 stitches.

The lawsuit was filed July 7, 2025 against the Town of Greenwich, Greenwich Emergency Medical Services (GEMS), a GEMS paramedic and two Greenwich Police officers. The suit claims the Greenwich first responders actions were negligent and intentional and led to serious physical harm and long-term emotional distress, including PTSD symptoms, panic attacks and homelessness.

Prior to this incident, Nastahowski had multiple charges against him. The Greenwich Time reported here that Nastahowski has eight separate cases pending against him involving driving offenses and misdemeanors. He was charged in June 2024 by Greenwich police for trespass, assault and threatening. In February 2024, he was charged with a felony for violating a protective order.

Between the Lines: Seems that a lot went wrong in the years and minutes leading up to the Greenwich emergency team administering the chemical restraint.

Story here