Public Advocate's office says the city "must urgently move to ensure the safety of all in custody"
Jumaane WilliamsPublic Advocate of New York City, in a post from his office's X account
The Public Advocate's office said that in a humane world an alleged shoplifting would not result in sudden death, that it would monitor the inquiry into Vincent Thoms's death in custody, and that the city must urgently act to ensure the safety of everyone in custody.
“In a humane world, alleged shoplifting would not result in sudden death. We will continue to monitor the inquiry into Vincent Thoms' death in custody. With a new administration in place, the City must urgently move to ensure the safety of all in custody.”
Original post
Official statement
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Is the NYPD failing people who fall ill in its custody?
At least six people have died in 2026 after medical emergencies in NYPD custody before arraignment, most recently Reginald Newkirk, who was returned to a Brooklyn precinct after a hospital visit and died the next morning. Public defenders and elected officials say the deaths reflect systemic failures in police custody and medical care. NYPD officials say the department investigates every death and that a death does not mean officers did something wrong, and a spokesperson said all but one of this year's detainees were sent to or cleared by medical facilities before they died. The question is whether the NYPD and the city are failing people who fall ill in police custody.
Source and context
Original post
About this source
Post on the official X account of New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams's office, sharing a Daily News report on Thoms's death.
Official statement
About this source
Legal Aid Society press release on the death of its client Vincent Thoms after he was held at Manhattan Central Booking.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
Gothamist report on the death of Vincent Thoms after he was held at Manhattan Central Booking on March 22, 2026.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Vincent Thoms, 51, died on March 22, 2026 after he was held at Manhattan Central Booking on a shoplifting charge. The post shared a Daily News report on his death.
After the quotation
The Legal Aid Society, which represented Thoms, had said the day before that he died in NYPD custody while waiting to be arraigned and spent his final moments in a jail cell.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is whether the NYPD and the city are failing people who fall ill in police custody. The Public Advocate's office says that in a humane world "alleged shoplifting would not result in sudden death" and that the city "must urgently move to ensure the safety of all in custody". That treats Thoms's death as a failure to keep people in custody safe, so we labeled it Condemned. The closest competing label is Mixed or conditional, which would fit a call to wait for the inquiry; the post also demands urgent action.
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More from this case
Read the full caseBrooklyn Defender Services urges reforms on deaths in NYPD custody "without delay"
Brooklyn Defender Services
“These incidents underscore the urgent need for reform. Last year, we joined fellow public defenders, advocates, and impacted New Yorkers on the steps of City Hall to put forward a 10-point plan to address the crisis of deaths in or following NYPD custody. We again urge the Mamdani Administration to implement these commonsense reforms without delay.”Read statement
Legal Aid's Amanda Jack says people in withdrawal "should not remain in prolonged police custody"
“Once the NYPD chooses to keep someone in custody, it assumes responsibility for that person's well-being ... People experiencing a substance-use crisis or withdrawal need timely medical care, and they should not remain in prolonged police custody while awaiting arraignment on low-level offenses.”Read statement
Mamdani's spokesperson says the city is "reviewing every stage of the process" after deaths in custody
“The safety of every person in custody is a top priority for the Mamdani administration ... We are reviewing every stage of the process, from arrest through arraignment, to identify any changes needed to protect the health and safety of everyone who enters the system.”Read statement
Cite this record
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- The Dispute Index
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- Public Advocate's office says the city "must urgently move to ensure the safety of all in custody"
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/5305-the-public-advocate-s-office-said-that-in
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Public Advocate's office says the city "must urgently move to ensure the safety of all in custody"". First published: 2026-10-09. Last updated: 2026-10-09. https://disputeindex.com/events/5305-the-public-advocate-s-office-said-that-in