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A sixth person dies after falling ill in NYPD custody this year
By
Ryan Kost
Published Oct 4, 2026
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By
Ryan Kost
Published Oct 4, 2026
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A 54-year-old Brooklyn man died Sunday morning at Kings County Hospital, a day after he suffered a medical emergency while in police custody in East Flatbush, according to the NYPD.
Police identified the man as Reginald Newkirk. He was arrested on Friday for criminal possession of a controlled substance, police said. After his arrest, Newkirk was taken to a hospital for medical attention and was cleared, according to the NYPD.
The following day, at about 2:10 p.m., police requested emergency services for a “sick” prisoner. Newkirk was taken to Kings County Hospital, where he remained until he was pronounced dead on Sunday, according to police.
The NYPD’s Force Investigation Division is investigating.
Newkirk is at least the sixth person to die this year after a medical emergency in NYPD custody.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether Newkirk was awaiting arraignment on the possession charge. Deaths in NYPD custody before arraignment don't trigger the public Board of Correction reviews that follow deaths at Rikers Island.
Public defenders have criticized the NYPD for holding people on low-level charges that aren’t eligible for bail while they wait to see a judge. Last year, a group of defender services released a 10-point plan that calls for independent Civilian Complaint Review Board investigations of every death in police custody, medics in arraignment courtrooms and an end to quality-of-life policing.
Three people died earlier this year after being arrested and held in NYPD custody in Manhattan and Brooklyn; at least two of them had been arrested on low-level charges. The city medical examiner ruled all three deaths accidents and listed acute drug intoxication among the causes.
Two others who died in NYPD custody this year were a 64-year-old homeless veteran who had a medical emergency at an East Harlem precinct stationhouse in August, and a 48-year-old man who died in September, more than three weeks after he suffered a medical episode while in a Brooklyn Central Booking holding cell.
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Ryan Kost
Ryan Kost is a reporter on the day-of news desk, where he covers breaking news and writes enterprise stories about jails, courts, prosecutors and government accountability. His work focuses on the public institutions that shape life in New York. Before joining the newsroom, he lead a multi-part investigation with Columbia Journalism Investigations and New York Focus into how New York prosecutors handle wrongful conviction claims. He's also been a staff writer at The San Francisco Chronicle, The Associated Press and The Oregonian. Got a tip? Signal: ryankost.20
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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