A 46-year-old man was found unconscious and unresponsive inside a holding cell at 120 Schermerhorn St. in Downtown Brooklyn at about 8:15 p.m. on Aug. 29 and was pronounced dead by responding EMS. He had been arrested the previous night after allegedly stealing shrimp and crab from a Williamsburg Whole Foods, charged with petit larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, and found with a crack pipe. Reports indicate he had more than 90 prior arrests. The body was transferred to the Medical Examiner for autopsy, and the NYPD Force Investigation Division opened a formal inquiry. A similar in-custody death occurred at the same facility in March.
Sources familiar with the case said the man had been arrested on Thursday night after allegedly stealing shrimp and crab from the Whole Foods Market located at 238 Bedford Ave. in Williamsburg. He was subsequently charged with petit larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, and found to have a crack pipe on him. The investigation revealed that the man had been wanted for several other thefts from the same Whole Foods Market.
It's believed that the man suffered an unknown medical episode while inside his holding cell, the sources said. Responding EMS units pronounced him dead at the scene; the man's identity has been withheld, pending family notification. The man's body was transferred to the Medical Examiner's office for an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Meanwhile, the NYPD Force Investigation Division is conducting a formal inquiry.
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