The city agreed to pay a record $28 million settlement in a lawsuit related to Rikers Island.
The civil rights complaint was filed by the family of Nicholas Feliciano.
The inmate suffered severe brain damage after attempting to hang himself inside the jail in 2019.
The lawsuit alleges that guards failed to intervene during the suicide attempt.
Feliciano was 18 years old at the time and had a long history of psychiatric hospitalizations.
He is currently at Bellevue Hospital, where he receives 24-hour medical care.
If approved by a judge, the lawsuit will be one of the largest pretrial settlements ever awarded to a single plaintiff in a civil rights case in New York City.
The Bronx District Attorney filed felony charges against three of the guards and a captain in 2022.
Last year, two of the guards pleaded guilty to official misconduct.
Cases against the captain and the remaining officer are pending.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the City Law Department said in part that “the resolution of this tragic case was in the best interest of all parties” and that the Department of Corrections “is working to ensure the safety of those suffering from serious mental illness.” .
_______________________________
We invite you to visit us on the new NY1 Noticias channel on WhatsApp. There you will find the most relevant news about what is happening in New York, as well as other coverage about the rest of the country, Latin America and the world. click in this link to access the channel. We thank you in advance if you become one of our followers and express your reaction to what we publish with an emoji.
