Retired NYPD Sergeant With Coronavirus Symptoms Dies On UES

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A retired NYPD sergeant was found dead on an Upper East Side street just hours after he discharged himself from a neighborhood hospital with symptoms resembling coronavirus, according to reports.

Yon Chang's body was found Monday morning near the intersection of East 77th Street and Park Avenue, the New York Daily News reported. The retired NYPD sergeant told a police officer at Lenox Hill Hospital that he had been diagnosed with coronavirus just hours before he suffered a collapse on the street, according to the report.

Police sources told the New York Post that Chang "forcibly discharged himself" from the hospital because he wasn't happy with his care.

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Chang retired from the NYPD in 2014 after a 20-year tenure with the police department, a spokesman for the Sergeants Benevolent Association said. He made sergeant rank in 2006 while stationed at the 17th Precinct, the union spokesman said in a statement.

"The tragic death of retired Sgt. Yon Chang is heartbreaking. He dutifully served the city from 1994 to 2014 and should be enjoying his retirement with his family. We are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death and will make an announcement at the appropriate time. Right now his family is requesting privacy do they can grieve their momentous loss," Sergeants Benevolent Association President Ed Mullins said.

The city medical examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine Chang's exact cause of death.

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