City Watchdog Investigating Brooklyn Deaths In NYPD Custody

BROOKLYN, NY — City investigators are probing a string of recent deaths in NYPD custody, officials revealed during a City Council hearing this week.

The investigation, led by the Department of Investigation’s Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD, comes amid growing concern from lawmakers and advocates about the lack of transparency surrounding more than 50 in-custody deaths since early 2023.

Advocacy groups say these deaths highlight deeper systemic issues within the department’s approach to policing and detention.

"The City must confront the NYPD’s unlawful reliance on custodial arrests for low-level offenses, its failure to provide medical and mental health care, and the unsafe and inhumane conditions in precincts and courthouses," Meghna Philip, who leads the Special Litigation Unit at The Legal Aid Society, said in a statement.

So far this year, nine people have died while in NYPD custody, according to the department.

Last month, 29-year-old Musa Cetin was found unconscious and unresponsive in a holding cell at 357 West 35th Street after being taken into custody in Manhattan. Just days earlier, 46-year-old Christopher Nieves suffered a medical episode while awaiting arraignment at Brooklyn Criminal Court, following an arrest for allegedly stealing food from a Williamsburg Whole Foods, police said.

Ahead of the hearing, The Legal Aid Society joined forces with Brooklyn Defender Services, The Bronx Defenders, New York County Defender Services, and the Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem in a rally at City Hall. They called on the city to adopt their comprehensive 10-point plan aimed at addressing deaths in custody.

The plan urges the City Council to inspect central booking sites regularly and station independent EMS workers—not under NYPD authority—in every arraignment courtroom and courthouse during all open hours. Emergency personnel would also be available for individuals transferred from Rikers Island. Additionally, they called for granting the Civilian Complaint Review Board automatic authority to investigate all in-custody deaths.

You can read the full ten-point plan here.

“The Legal Aid Society calls on the City Council, prosecutors, and all actors within the criminal legal system to adopt the reforms outlined in our ten-point plan unveiled today — from ending broken windows policing to ensuring independent oversight and access to lifesaving medical care," Philip added. "No one should lose their life simply because they were detained in NYPD custody.”

The existence of the investigation was revealed during the council hearing, which also addressed the recent spike in in-custody deaths. However, officials did not disclose details about the investigation’s scope or timeline.