Family of Bronx teenager says NYPD is responsible for her suicide in custody

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Tragedy Strikes Bronx Teenager's Family: NYPD Blamed for Daughter's Custody Death

The Cheatham family, whose teenage daughter Saniyah died by suicide while in police custody, has filed a lawsuit against the New York City Police Department (NYPD), alleging that the department's failure to address her mental health issues and provide adequate care led directly to her untimely death.

According to court documents, 18-year-old Cheatham was experiencing severe mental distress when she was arrested on assault charges. Despite this, police took her to a precinct in Longwood without providing her with any medical attention or monitoring her condition closely enough. In fact, the family claims that officers left Cheatham alone in a holding cell, where she hanged herself using a sweater.

Surveillance footage obtained by the family appears to show Cheatham hanging from a makeshift noose inside the cell while police failed to intervene or provide assistance. The petition filed in Manhattan Supreme Court asserts that the NYPD's negligence directly contributed to Saniyah's tragic death.

The Cheathams have long questioned the medical examiner's ruling that their daughter died by suicide, citing inconsistencies in the investigation and lack of transparency from law enforcement officials. Now, they are seeking a court order to compel the NYPD to preserve and release all records related to the case.

Saniyah's family is being represented by renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has previously handled high-profile cases involving police brutality and officer-related deaths. The family's lawsuit is just one of several recent calls for greater accountability within the NYPD following a string of high-profile incidents involving excessive force and poor police conduct.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, there are resources available to help. You can call 988 or visit the NYC 988 website online for support and guidance.
 
🤕 This is just devastating news... I'm so sorry for Saniyah's family 🙏. As a tech enthusiast, I've seen how social media & mental health resources can connect people with help, but what about those who are arrested? It's like, their phone's data gets tracked but their emotional well-being doesn't get prioritized 😞. We need to think of better solutions for our communities 🌆. Can we create a wearable device that tracks mental health signs? Or a mobile app that connects people with crisis hotlines? Technology can help us bridge this gap 💻📱. We gotta do better 🤝
 
🤕😔 I'm so shocked by this news, it's just heartbreaking... The fact that the police left her alone in a cell like that is just horrific, no one should ever have to go through that 😨. I don't think we're doing enough to support our mental health community, it's like we're expecting them to just "toughen up" when really they need help and support 💔. The NYPD needs to take responsibility for their actions and do better in the future 🚫. Can we ever get to a point where police officers are trained to handle mental health situations properly? 🤞
 
This is so sad! 🤕😔 The NYPD needs to step up their game when it comes to handling situations like this. One mistake can lead to a tragedy, and in this case, Saniyah's life was lost due to police negligence. It's not just about the laws they follow, but also about the care and compassion they show towards people in distress 🤝. The Cheatham family deserves justice, and I hope their lawsuit brings some much-needed accountability 💪. We need more support for mental health, especially among young people who are struggling to cope with the pressures of life 📚. It's time for us to come together as a community and demand better from our law enforcement agencies 👮‍♀️. #JusticeForSaniyah #MentalHealthMatters #NYPDAccountability
 
😔 This is just heartbreaking... another family torn apart by a system that failed them at its worst. The NYPD's failure to take proper care of Saniyah when she needed it most is absolutely devastating. It's one thing to make mistakes, but this sounds like a complete breakdown in protocol. Leaving her alone in a cell without monitoring or medical attention? That's just not right. 🚔 I hope the family gets some justice and that the NYPD takes steps to fix their systems so something like this never happens again. Mental health is so important, and we need to make sure we're supporting each other, not pushing people further into crisis. 💕
 
I don't usually comment but I just saw this news about that girl who died in police custody and it's so sad 🤕. Like, her family is trying to hold someone accountable for what happened to their daughter, which is fair, you know? But at the same time, it makes me think about how messed up our mental health system is in this country 🤯. I mean, we talk about police brutality and racism all the time, but what about the people who are just struggling to cope with life? It feels like they're getting left behind 🚫.

And yeah, surveillance footage that shows someone hanging themselves while being neglected by cops... it's just horrific 😨. I don't know what else to say, other than if you or someone you know is feeling down, there are people who care and want to help 💕. Just calling 988 or visiting their website can be a big first step towards getting the support you need 🌈.

It's all just so tragic... 🤝
 
I'm still in shock when I think about Saniyah's tragic death 🤕. It just feels like we're going back to the days of police brutality and lack of care, you know? Like, what's wrong with officers being able to recognize when someone needs help ASAP? They're supposed to be our protectors, not contributing to a situation that leads to someone taking their own life 😔.

I remember when I was in high school, we had those crisis hotlines where if you were feeling overwhelmed or something, you could just call and talk to someone. It wasn't like back then, but it felt more... I don't know, supportive? Now it feels like the system is still broken 🤦‍♀️.

And can we talk about how long it took for the medical examiner's ruling to be disputed by the family? That's just another layer of red tape and bureaucracy that makes it harder for people to get justice 💔. I hope they get some answers and accountability from the NYPD, but deep down, I'm scared for what might happen next 🤞.
 
man this is just heartbreaking 🤕 Saniyah's story is like, so tragic... her family is just trying to get some answers after what happened, and it's not easy on them. I feel bad for the Cheatham family, they're going through so much already. The fact that the NYPD didn't do enough to help their daughter in need is just wrong, you know? 🤦‍♂️

I'm glad they're seeking justice and transparency, though. It's about time we hold our institutions accountable for their actions. I hope Ben Crump can get some real answers for them. 😔 The 988 number is a great resource, too - mental health matters are so important, we need to prioritize each other's well-being. 🤝
 
😩 I'm so sad about this 🤕 Saniyah's story is heartbreaking 💔 The way she was treated by the police is just unacceptable 😡 They knew she was struggling with mental health issues but they didn't do anything to help her 🙅‍♂️ Leaving her alone in that cell without any care or attention is a nightmare come true 😱 I'm so angry at the NYPD for their negligence and lack of compassion 🤬 If only they had taken action sooner, maybe Saniyah's life could have been saved 💕 The fact that she died by suicide still being disputed by the medical examiner is just another layer of pain for her family 🤯 They need justice and answers now ⏰
 
😔 this is just heartbreaking, y'all. a family's pain & loss is so much more than just a lawsuit, it's a cry for help & change 🤕. we need to learn from this tragedy & make sure that our law enforcement agencies are equipped to handle mental health emergencies with compassion & care ❤️. no child should ever have to die alone in custody because the system failed them 💔. let's work towards creating a safer, more supportive environment for all, especially our vulnerable youth 🌈💪
 
🤕 this case is just devastating 🌧️, a teenager's life lost due to what sounds like utter negligence by the NYPD 🚔. it's heartbreaking that the family is being forced to relive this trauma through the court system ⏰. the fact that they're fighting for basic records and transparency from law enforcement is just infuriating 😡. how can we expect justice when there are no consequences for systemic failures like this? 💔 my heart goes out to Saniyah's family, may they find some semblance of closure in the coming days 🕊️
 
😞 this is so heartbreaking... I mean, I've seen some bad police stuff in my time, but this? It's just devastating. They're saying the cops left her alone in a cell with no medical attention? That's crazy! 🚔 And now the family is suing them for negligence... I don't know if they'll win or not, but I do know that Saniyah's life mattered and it should've been handled differently.

I'm all for holding police accountable, but sometimes you just gotta wonder what's going through their heads. Were they really that unaware of the situation? Did they really think it was okay to leave her alone in a cell like that? 🤔 It's just so sad that we're having to write about this stuff... and yeah, if you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, please reach out for help. 988 is a great resource - don't be ashamed to use it! 💖
 
😔 I'm so disappointed in how the NYPD handled that case... it's just not right. Leaving a suicidal teenager alone in a holding cell is unacceptable. Like, what's supposed to happen? Are they even trained to handle these kinds of situations?! 🤷‍♀️ It's not like she was gonna escape or something... it's about providing care and support when someone needs it most.

And now the family has to go through all this trauma again by fighting for answers and justice. 🙄 The fact that they have to sue the NYPD just to get their hands on some basic records is infuriating. Don't they already know what happened?! 🤯 This whole thing just feels like a massive failure of human decency... 😢
 
This is so heartbreaking 🤕💔. The thought of a teenager like Saniyah going through what she was going through and not getting the help she needed is just devastating 😭. I'm glad her family is fighting for justice, but it's also really sad that this had to happen at all... *sigh* 💔
 
I feel so bad for Saniyah's family 🤕👧. It's just heartbreaking that she went through all that and had to die under such circumstances. I think we need to be more careful about how we treat people, especially when it comes to mental health issues 🙏. The police department should've done more to help her, you know? Not just leaving her alone in a cell like that is just so wrong 😕.

I'm not saying the NYPD is all bad, but they need to step up their game and get better training on dealing with situations like this 💡. We need more support for people struggling with mental health issues, not just law enforcement officers 🤝. Saniyah's family deserves justice and answers, and I hope they get them soon 💪.

It's also really interesting that the medical examiner's ruling was questioned by the family... maybe there's more to it than we know 🧐? Anyway, my heart goes out to Saniyah's family during this tough time ❤️. We should all be advocating for better treatment and support for people struggling with mental health issues 💬.
 
OMG 🤯 this is so sad! I cant believe what happened to Saniyah 😭. The police should've been more careful with her mental health stuff, they didnt do enough to help her 🙅‍♂️. Those officers in that holding cell are literally the worst 👎. I hope they get held accountable for this tragedy 💔. Its not fair that she had to die like that 🤯. We need more support for people with mental health issues, not just a hotline number 📞. The NYPD should be doing better 💪
 
🤕😔 this is just heartbreaking... it's like they just left her there all alone in that cell... i mean, you gotta wonder how many times she had to say something was wrong before someone actually listened? 🤷‍♀️ the thought of those officers watching her hang herself on camera and not doing anything about it... 😲 it's just so disturbing. what kinda system are we living under where a kid can die from neglect like this? 🤯 the family deserves justice and i hope they get it... but at the same time, i feel bad for the officers who are getting blamed for something that might not have been entirely their fault... 🤔 we need to figure out how to support people in crisis better before tragedies like this keep happening. 💔
 
Wow 🤯 This is soooo sad 😔. The NYPD should be more careful when handling situations like this. Mental health is super important and police training should cover how to deal with people who are going through tough times 🤝. The fact that they left her alone in a holding cell for hours without checking on her or providing any help is just heartbreaking 💔. Hope the family gets justice and some answers soon 😕
 
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