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Rikers Island detainee death is being investigated
By
Matt Katz
Published May 17, 2023
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Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
By
Matt Katz
Published May 17, 2023
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A 52-year-old man held at Rikers Island died on Tuesday after suffering a severe injury at one of the jails in the complex, officials said.
Rubu Zhao was held at the George R. Vierno Center jail on Rikers, and died at Elmhurst Hospital. He is the second person to die in custody in New York City this year; the death rate has plummeted in 2023 after 19 people died in city jails in 2022 – a historic high.
Correction officials did not detail the nature of the incident that led to Zhao’s death. An employee at the jail who was briefed on the incident said Zhao fell from a second-floor tier on Sunday, suffering severe injuries. They spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to speak publicly about what happened.
Zhao’s court-appointed attorney Jonathan Fink said Zhao was on life support since the incident but he didn’t know further details. “This is a very tragic situation,” he said.
Zhao, a native of China, was awaiting trial for murder after being accused of killing his girlfriend at their home in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, late last year.
“I am saddened by the circumstances that led to Mr. Zhao’s passing and I offer my condolences to his family,” Correction Commissioner Louis Molina said in a statement. “The health and safety of everyone in our custody is a top priority and a full investigation is underway to determine how this unfortunate incident occurred.”
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Rikers Island
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Matt Katz
Matt Katz is a former WNYC & Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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