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A fifth person dies after a medical emergency in NYPD custody this year
By
Charles Lane
Published Sep 11, 2026
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Mark Lennihan/AP/Shutterstock
By
Charles Lane
Published Sep 11, 2026
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A man who suffered a medical episode in a Brooklyn holding cell last month died Wednesday after more than three weeks in a hospital, according to the NYPD.
He is at least the fifth person this year to die after a medical emergency while awaiting arraignment in an NYPD booking facility.
The 48-year-old man’s identity is being withheld pending family notification.
He was arrested on Aug. 16 on charges of possessing crack cocaine and a stolen credit card, according to a timeline of events provided by the NYPD.
Officers assigned to the Police Service Area, a unit dedicated to providing security and law enforcement for the New York City Housing Authority, asked whether he needed medical attention and he declined, police said.
He was moved from a precinct holding cell in Brownsville to Brooklyn Central Booking at 120 Schermerhorn St. about four hours later, the timeline states.
The next morning, roughly 20 hours after his arrest, he appeared to have a medical episode in his cell, according to the department. Officers requested an ambulance two minutes later, and after an hour EMS brought him to Brooklyn Hospital Center where he remained until he was pronounced dead on Sept. 9, officials said.
Four other people have died this year after medical emergencies in NYPD booking facilities. The city medical examiner ruled three of those deaths an accident caused by acute drug intoxication.
Like the other four, the man who died this week was being held for arraignment in NYPD custody rather than at Rikers Island, where deaths trigger public reviews by the Board of Correction. The Department of Investigation has been examining deaths in NYPD custody since 2025, and City Hall said in July it was reviewing every stage from arrest through arraignment.
The medical examiner will determine what caused his death, and the NYPD's Force Investigation Division is investigating, a spokesperson said.
The Legal Aid Society and Brooklyn Defender Services said in a joint statement that their hearts ached from this latest death.
"His death comes amid long-standing concerns about the treatment of people in NYPD custody and conditions at New York City courthouses," said Legal Aid spokesperson Redmond Haskins.
Legal Aid has criticized the department for holding people on low-level, non-bail-eligible charges while they wait to see judges.
The groups also pointed to a woman who gave birth in custody at Brooklyn Criminal Court in May and to Vincent Thoms, who died in March awaiting arraignment in Manhattan. They urged the Mamdani administration to adopt a 10-point plan on custody deaths that public defenders put forward last year.
Cleodore Bunch, a 64-year-old homeless veteran, died in a Manhattan precinct cell last month after getting into a fight at a shelter, according to NYPD officials. New York’s chief medical examiner said Zamiqua Miller died from drugs in Manhattan Central Booking in March after being arrested for drugs. Hector Sierra died from acute intoxication from fentanyl in Brooklyn Central Booking in April after he was stopped for fare evasion, the medical examiner said.
Tagged
brooklyn
new york city
public safety
Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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