A New York City inmate was hospitalized in the Bronx Tuesday after diving off a floating jail into the East River, FDNY and DOC sources confirmed.
The man was detained at Vernon C. Bain Center, a large jail barge off of Halleck Street in Hunts Point, from where he allegedly took the deadly plunge at about 11:44 a.m. on Sept. 20.
Sources say the NYPD Harbor Unit responded to a call of an unresponsive man in the water. First responders recovered the detainee and transported him to a dock at Rikers Island, then rushed by EMS to Mount Sinai Hospital.
“At approximately 11:44 a.m. today, a person in custody climbed a recreation yard fence at the Vernon C. Bain Center (VCBC) and jumped into the East River. The individual was apprehended and taken to a local hospital for any injuries they sustained during this attempted escape. An investigation is ongoing,” a DOC spokesperson said.
Should he succumb to his injuries, the inmate would be 15th death in Corrections Department custody so far in 2022. Most recently, just last week, Kevin Bryan allegedly hung himself while detained at Rikers Island’s Eric M. Taylor Center on Sept. 14.
Freedom Agenda Organizer Edwin Santana, who was formerly detained on the Boat, said Tuesday’s incident was a reminder that the city not only needs, in his opinion, to shut Rikers Island down, but also the floating hoosegow.
“Closing Rikers means closing the Boat as well. The Boat exists as an extension of the horrors of Rikers Island. This is what happens when there is no accountability in a system that pays lip service to rehabilitation but lives off of corruption and injustice.”
Anisah Sabur, #HALTsolitary Campaign organizer and survivor of Rikers Island, expressed disgust over the incident: “The Mayor, along with all judges, district attorneys, and state and local officials must do everything in their power right now to release people, stop sending people to these deadly jails, and ensure all New Yorkers have access to the programs and services they need to survive and thrive.”
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