Nydia M. Velazquez
Role at the time: U.S. representative for New York's 7th district, in a post on X
Statement summary
Rep. Nydia Velázquez linked a death at Rikers Island to the deaths of Musa Cetin and Christopher Nieves in NYPD custody, said city leadership has failed, and called for transparency, justice and an end to systemic negligence.
“Another life stolen by our jail system's brutality. Jimmy Avila died at Rikers just as Musa Cetin and Christopher Nieves lost their lives in NYPD custody. City leadership has failed. Accountability cannot wait. We need transparency, justice, and end to systemic negligence now.”
The congresswoman's own post on X about deaths at Rikers Island and in NYPD custody.
Why we used this label
The reference point is whether the NYPD and the city are failing people who fall ill in police custody. Velázquez says Christopher Nieves and Musa Cetin "lost their lives in NYPD custody" and that "City leadership has failed." She calls for an end to "systemic negligence". Nieves died after he and his lawyer asked for medical attention. That holds city leadership responsible for deaths in custody, including one that followed requests for care, so we labeled it Condemned. The closest competing label is Mixed or conditional, which would fit a call for answers without a conclusion; she states one.