3 NYC corrections officers suspended following death of inmate at troubled Rikers Island jail
NEW YORK (AP) — Three corrections officers have been suspended following the death of an inmate at New York City's troubled Riker's Island, jail officials said.
Officers found inmate Ardit Billa unresponsive in his cell at around 12:25 a.m. on Saturday, according to Patrick Rocchio, a city Department of Corrections spokesperson.
The department didn't provide further details other than to say the two officers rendered aid until medical personnel arrived. Billa was pronounced dead shortly after.
Rocchio said the department notified the jail's court-appointed federal monitor, as well as other state and city agencies.
A federal judge in May said she would appoint an outside manager to “take all necessary steps” toward restoring order after declaring the city had failed to stem spiraling dysfunction and brutality in its jails.
“Any loss of life in our custody is a tragedy, and we are committed to a full review of the circumstances surrounding this incident,” New York City Correction Commissioner Lynelle Maginley-Liddie said in a statement that also extended “heartfelt condolences” to Billa’s loved ones.
The city medical examiner’s office said Thursday the inmate's cause and manner of death is still pending.
Paul Idlett, president of the Correction Captains’ Association, a labor union, called Billa’s death “tragic” but said it was essential that the “evaluation of this incident is fair and all factors involved are considered.”
The Legal Aid Society of New York, which was representing Billa, called for an independent and impartial investigation.
The organization noted he was housed in a unit for inmates with mental health issues that is supposed to have the most intensive level of supervision in the facility. The group said the department should also immediately disclose to Billa's family the circumstances around the 29-year-old's death. It wasn't immediately clear how long Bila had been at Riker's or on what charges.
“Rikers Island remains engulfed in a full-fledged humanitarian disaster," Legal Aid Society said in a statement. “The daily suffering we hear from our clients — whether from deplorable facility conditions, denial of access to medical care, or staff violence — and the mounting deaths underscore why the status quo cannot continue and transformative change is needed.”
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