Overview
- Umais Khan, 40, was found unresponsive Tuesday at the Eric M. Taylor Center, less than a day after 41-year-old Rajpattie Ramkellawan died at the Rose M. Singer Center.
- Khan was discovered in bed shortly before 11 a.m., staff performed CPR, and he was pronounced dead at 11:21 a.m., with the cause still under investigation.
- Ramkellawan suffered a reported medical emergency Monday morning and was pronounced dead around 11 a.m., with her attorney noting long-running trauma and behavioral health struggles.
- The Department of Correction said it opened investigations and notified the medical examiner and oversight agencies, including the federal monitor, the Board of Correction, and local prosecutors.
- The two deaths bring this year’s toll in city custody to at least four after 15 last year, as advocates and the mayor renew calls to close Rikers and as federal monitors continue to report failures in supervision, emergency response, and medical care.