"The family of a man who died at Rikers Island in August is suing the city, alleging he took his own life after corrections officers ignored explicit warnings about his mental health, according to court documents. Jimmy Avila died by suicide on Aug. 30, just hours after his arraignment on murder and weapons charges. His attorney had asked that he receive immediate mental health treatment and be placed in protective custody, according to court documents."
"Avila, 34, had been charged in connection with a shooting at a Bronx apartment building that left one person dead and two others wounded. Following his arrest on Aug. 27, he was taken to Lincoln Hospital for what the lawsuit describes as "acute medical and mental health needs." Three days later, at his arraignment, attorney Francis White of the Legal Aid Society requested that Avila receive mental health treatment and be placed in protective custody, the lawsuit states."
Jimmy Avila died by suicide on Aug. 30, hours after his arraignment on murder and weapons charges. His attorney requested immediate mental health treatment and protective custody at arraignment. Avila was placed alone in a cell at the West Facility without monitoring, despite explicit warnings about his mental health. Avila had been arrested Aug. 27 and taken to Lincoln Hospital for what the lawsuit calls "acute medical and mental health needs." The lawsuit alleges corrections staff violated department policy and failed proper intake procedures for someone in a mental health crisis. His death underscores the ongoing mental health crisis in the city's jails.
Read at Gothamist
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