Man dies in custody weeks after suffering medical episode at Kings County Criminal Court
Sources close to the investigation say the man was rushed to the hospital on Aug. 17 - just one day after he was arrested for allegedly possessing narcotics and stealing a credit card.
More Stories
A 48-year-old man died in custody on Wednesday, over three weeks after suffering a medical episode inside Kings County Criminal Court.
Sources close to the investigation say the man was rushed to the hospital on Aug. 17 - just one day after he was arrested for allegedly possessing narcotics and stealing a credit card.
According to police, EMS responded to the courthouse at 120 Schermerhorn St. just after 9:30 a.m. and transported the man to the Brooklyn Hospital Center.
He was pronounced dead on Wednesday, Sept. 9. His identity is being withheld pending family notification.
The Legal Aid Society and Brooklyn Defender Services released the following joint statement:
“Our hearts ache for the New Yorker who suffered a medical emergency while in NYPD custody at Brooklyn Criminal Court and later died. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones and await further information about the circumstances surrounding his death.
His death comes amid longstanding concerns about the treatment of people in NYPD custody and conditions at New York City courthouses. In May, a woman gave birth while in custody at Brooklyn Criminal Court. In March, Vincent Thoms died in NYPD custody while awaiting arraignment, joining the other New Yorkers who have died in or following NYPD custody in recent years, including Christopher Nieves, Saniyah Cheatham, Musa Cetin, and Soso Ramishvili.
These incidents underscore the urgent need for reform. Last year, we joined fellow public defenders, advocates, and impacted New Yorkers on the steps of City Hall to put forward a 10-point plan to address the crisis of deaths in or following NYPD custody. We again urge the Mamdani Administration to implement these commonsense reforms without delay.”
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will determine the man's cause and manner of death.
The NYPD says its Force Investigation Division is investigating the incident.
