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Woman Arrested For Selling Marijuana Dies In Bed-Stuy Jail Cell
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Oct 26, 2014
Modified Oct 27, 2014
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Oct 26, 2014
Modified Oct 27, 2014
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A woman who was arrested for selling and possessing marijuana in Bed-Stuy last night died several hours later while in police custody.
According to an NYPD release, Jasmine Lawrence, 22, was arrested outside 1350 Bedford Avenue shortly before 8 p.m. by detectives from the Brooklyn North Narcotics Bureau. Lawrence and three other suspects were then taken to the 79 Precinct at around 10 p.m. where Lawrence was placed "by herself, in a holding cell."
Around midnight, the release states that Lawrence "had an apparent seizure," and that police called EMS, which arrived within seven minutes. Medics took Lawrence to Woodhull Hospital at 12:44 a.m., where she was pronounced dead sixteen minutes later.
An NYPD spokesperson could not immediately explain why Lawrence, a Bronx resident, was taken to the 79th Precinct and not the precinct of her arrest, the 77th.
The Medical Examiner will determine Lawrence's cause of death, and the investigation is ongoing.
Tagged
79th Precinct
bed stuy
Crown Heights
marijuana
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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