Bronx household calls for solutions after teen dies in NYPD custody – NBC New York

After police stated an 18-year-old lady took her personal life whereas in NYPD custody, {the teenager}’s household is now elevating questions on her final hours alive — demanding solutions and calling for extra data to be launched.

In line with police, Sanyah Cheatham was discovered unconscious inside a cell at a stationhouse on Longwood Avenue simply earlier than 1 a.m. Saturday. She was pronounced useless a short while later at Lincoln Hospital.

However simply hours earlier than her arrest, Cheatham’s mom stated her daughter was all smiles at a household July Fourth cookout in Crotona Park.

“She was completely satisfied and I used to be completely satisfied to see her,” stated Thomasina Cheatham.

The household stated that after the cookout, Cheatham received right into a bodily battle along with her girlfriend, resulting in each of them getting arrested during which each have been arrested. The NYPD has not but confirmed these particulars, however did say officers carried out CPR on her after she was discovered seemingly lifeless within the precinct cell round 12:40 a.m.

The NYPD’s Drive Investigation Division, which investigates instances when an individual in police custody dies, is trying into Cheatham’s case.

As for her mom, she is casting doubt on her daughter’s demise being a suicide.

“What occurred to her? I don’t imagine she killed herself,” stated Thomasina. “Possibly she stated one thing they didn’t like, they roughed her up. I don’t imagine my daughter dedicated suicide.”

The household stated police instructed them that Cheatham used a sweater to asphyxiate herself.

“She didn’t have on a sweater that day,” her mom stated.

The Cheatham household on Tuesday known as on the NYPD to launch surveillance footage of contained in the precinct and demanded arresting officers flip of their lapel video.

“Oh she hung herself on the bars. I want to see that,” Thomasina Cheatham stated.

{The teenager}’s brother known as for post-mortem outcomes to be launched as nicely.

The medical expert had not but decided a reason behind demise, beforehand saying it was pending additional examine following an examination on Sunday.