The Bronx community and the family of Saniyah Cheatham, an 18-year-old who died by suicide while in NYPD custody, are still seeking closure two weeks after the incident. According to CBS News, Cheatham was arrested on July 4 following an altercation with a friend and was later found unresponsive in her cell at the 41st Precinct stationhouse.
Bronx Community College student Saniyah Cheatham's death has been ruled a suicide, as determined by the New York City medical examiner's office, however, her family contests this finding. "We are demanding, from NYPD, answers. It's been 10 days since this tragedy. How long, NYPD, before we release the video? How long, NYPD, before the family gets answers? How long, NYPD, before we get accountability for the death of this 18-year-old child, this daughter," civil rights attorney Ben Crump stated in a news conference, as reported by CBS News. The NYPD's Force Investigation Division is said to be reviewing the incident.
The press conference yesterday saw Cheatham's family and Crump, a nationally known civil rights lawyer who has represented families impacted by police-related deaths, demanding the release of surveillance video from the precinct to shed light on the events leading to Cheatham's death. According to a Gothamist interview, Crump plans to explore "every possible legal remedy to get to the truth."
Central to the family's concerns is a perceived inconsistency between Cheatham’s demeanor the day before her death and the circumstances reported by authorities. According to her mother, Thomasina Cheatham, she appeared to be in good spirits while attending a July Fourth barbecue with relatives. She also noted that her daughter was not wearing a sweater at the time—an observation that conflicts with the NYPD’s account of the method of her reported suicide. "I just want to know what happened to Saniyah," Thomasina said. Her statement has been supported by activists and community members seeking further examination of the NYPD's involvement in the teen's death. Tamika Mallory, cofounder of the social justice organization Until Freedom, encouraged the public to demand answers from Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, as reported by Gothamist.
