Man Dies After NYPD Custody At Courthouse

A 51-year-old man died Sunday after he became ill while being held by New York Police Department officers at Brooklyn Central Booking. (gothamist.com) Police identified him as Hector Sierra and said staff called emergency medical services at about 11 a.m. at the holding facility on Schermerhorn Street. Paramedics took him to NYU Langone Hospital-Cobble Hill, where he was pronounced dead. (gothamist.com) amNewYork reported Sierra had been arrested the night before at the 18th Avenue N train station in Bensonhurst on a fare-evasion stop and was accused of possessing a controlled substance. The outlet said he arrived at Central Booking just after midnight and began vomiting the next morning. (amny.com) Brooklyn Central Booking is the courthouse holding area where arrested people are kept before arraignment, the first court appearance after an arrest. New York City’s 311 system says people are typically there within the first 24 to 48 hours after an arrest, before seeing a judge. (portal.311.nyc.gov) The death came one week after another person died at the same facility. On April 12, 33-year-old Zamiqua Miller was found unconscious at 120 Schermerhorn St. while being held for booking, according to police and amNewYork. (amny.com) amNewYork reported Miller had been taken to two hospitals on April 11 after complaining of illness and was discharged both times before she was found dead hours later. Her cause of death had not been determined when that report was published. (amny.com) Under New York Police Department rules, the Force Investigation Division handles cases when a person dies or is likely to die while in police custody or immediately before custody. The city Medical Examiner also has jurisdiction over deaths tied to criminal violence, accidents, suicide, or deaths in custody. (nyc.gov 1) (nyc.gov 2) That process is drawing renewed attention because Sierra’s death is the second at Brooklyn Central Booking in seven days. As of Monday, police said the investigation into his death was still ongoing and the exact cause had not been released. (amny.com)