A detainee was found dead inside of his cell on Rikers Island early Sunday morning, marking the seventh death inside the embattled jail this year — and the fourth this month.
Curtis Davis, 44, was found unresponsive in his cell in the George R Vierno Center within the facility at around 5 a.m. on July 23, Department of Correction sources confirmed to amNewYork Metro. Staff attempted to administer medical care to Davis, but were ultimately unsuccessful and Davis was pronounced dead at approximately 5:37 a.m.
His cause of death is currently being investigated and will be determined by the medical examiner, according to the department.
“All notifications have been made to the person in custody’s next of kin, the federal monitor, the State Attorney General, DOI, the Board of Correction (BOC), the State Commission of Correction (SCOC), and the OCME,” a spokesperson for DOC said.
Davis had been in DOC custody since June 1, 2023. He is the seventh person to die on Rikers Island this year — and the fourth this month.
Davis’ death comes just over a week after William Johnstone, 47, was found unresponsive, also in his cell at the George R. Vierno Center, on July 15. Johnstone, who was arrested in March on robbery charges in Brooklyn and parole violations in Manhattan, was transported to Mount Sinai Queens Hospital in Astoria, where he was pronounced dead.
Felix Taveras died of an overdose on July 4 at the Anna M. Kross Center on Rikers Island, in an incident that led to the suspension of four correction officers for failing to save his life. Taveras, 40, was being held on a parole violation.
Two days later, Ricky Howell died at the Bellevue Hospital jail ward from cancer. The 60-year-old was being held on burglary charges.
Davis’ death also comes as the city risks losing control of Rikers Island. Earlier this month, a court-appointed monitor urged a judge to begin contempt proceedings against New York City over conditions at the troubled complex, setting the stage for a potential federal takeover of the jail system.
Additional reporting by Ben Brachfeld, with AP reports
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