"Attorneys say 46-year-old Christopher Nieves, who was awaiting arraignment at Kings County Criminal Court after being arrested for shoplifting at a supermarket, showed signs of sickness. They say his lawyer saw him collapse several times and said he appeared to be suffering from yellowed skin and had his foot bandaged. The legal representatives also charged that his lawyer and Nieves himself asked to be transferred to a hospital, but he died in custody hours later."
"The fact that New Yorkers are dying while in the NYPD's custody, and detained at state courthouses on low-level charges, is unconscionable, said Meghna Philip, director of the Special Litigation Unit at The Legal Aid Society. The NYPD's so-called quality of life' policing is targeting vulnerable New Yorkers for petty offenses and literally costing lives. NYPD's systemic failures, lack of transparency, and ongoing unlawful detention practices are unacceptable. These deaths demand urgent, independent investigation and structural reform."
At least five people died after being detained by the NYPD in 2025, with three fatalities occurring inside courthouses following arrests for low-level offenses. Christopher Nieves collapsed multiple times while awaiting arraignment after a supermarket shoplifting arrest, displayed visible illness and a bandaged foot, and died in custody after requests for hospital transfer. Soso Ramishvili was found unconscious while awaiting arraignment in March. A letter was sent to the Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD demanding an independent investigation, alleging negligence, systemic failures, lack of transparency, unlawful detention practices, and calling for structural reform.
Read at www.amny.com
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