Mystery as inmate dies at Rikers

A city inmate died in his jail cell and it took a medical team 16 minutes to reach him, according to internal Correction Department records.

David McPeck, 43, was found “unresponsive” inside a cell in the Anna M. Kross Center on Rikers Island on Monday at 8:21 a.m., records show.

An emergency medical team was summoned and arrived at 8:37 a.m., the department’s report says.

McPeck (photo) was pronounced dead at 9:09 a.m.

The cause of death has not been determined yet and the department is reviewing what happened.

“Any death in our custody is a tragic loss,” said Correction Department spokesman Peter Thorne.

McPeck was arrested by the NYPD after he allegedly pulled an emergency brake on a southbound No. 2 train after it left W. 110th St. on Aug. 21 at 6:23 p.m.

He was charged with reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor, and held on $1 bail.

But Manhattan prosecutors also discovered he was wanted in New Jersey on a more serious charge, aggravated assault. So the judge at his arraignment remanded him without bail.

McPeck waived his extradition hearing and was expected to be sent back to New Jersey after his next court hearing on Sept. 6.

Details of the aggravated assault charge were not immediately available.

He has been arrested at least four times, including a robbery and burglary charge, records show.

It was not immediately clear how those cases were adjudicated.

All fatalities in custody are reviewed by the state Correction Commission.

The reviews over the past several years showed that city jail staff repeatedly failed to follow simple safeguards and overlooked clear signs of mental illness and serious depression.