By Jonathan Burgos –
A man died in custody while at Rikers Monday night, becoming the fifth detainee to die in custody at the notorious jail complex the NYC Department of Correction said on Tuesday.
New York City Department of Corrections, according to them, while staff members were conducting a tour at the George R. Vierno Center, at around 9:18 p.m., they noticed that an individual became “visibly ill” and declared a medical emergency. Although staff provided lifesaving measures, he couldn’t be saved.
This is the fifth incarcerated person to die in city jails in just the last six weeks. The death toll at rikers is already close to surpassing last year’s total.
Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie said, “The department is mourning the loss of someone in our care who passed away on the evening of March 31. We share our condolences with his loved ones and will investigate every aspect of this tragedy.”
Defenders and Legal Aid Society are demanding an investigation into the man’s death.
“His untimely death, just one day after his 27th birthday, makes this tragedy all the more devastating and demands an immediate, swift, and independent investigation. “This needless loss of a young life underscores the urgent need for the immediate appointment of an independent body, such as a receivership, to take over the City’s jail system.”