Inmate dies eight days after Bronx courthouse suicide try
A criminal suspect died eight days after he tried to hang himself at a Bronx court holding cell — but the city won’t count his passing as a death in custody because the man was granted compassionate release as he lay on his deathbed.
Antonio Bradley, 28, held on bail of $200,000 bond or $40,000 cash on weapons possession and other charges, tried to hang himself in a holding cell at Bronx Criminal Court on June 10.
He was put on life support at Lincoln Hospital, and his condition grew so dire the Correction Department granted him compassionate relief on June 15, a department spokeswoman told the Daily News.
Bradley was still at Lincoln Hospital when he died Saturday, three days after he was freed from custody, said sources.
So far this year eight inmates have died in custody, including two this week. If Bradley was included in the tally, he would be the ninth.
The Correction Department did not announce Bradley’s death, as is its custom when inmates die in custody, said his family’s lawyer Cary London. Also, London said, Bradley’s father had no idea his son had been released.
The Correction Department “really knows how to shift the blame. This is the definition of an in-custody death, and they’re granting him compassionate release so the blood is not on their hands. That’s despicable,” said London, who works for the firm Shulman & Hill.
Bradley was suffering from “serious mental health issues, and was known to be a danger to himself,” London wrote in court papers filed against the city Tuesday.
“If the court system cannot keep the inmate alive, then we may need to rethink the entire criminal justice landscape,” said London. “Having bail set should not be a death sentence.”
According to an account by the Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association on June 11, a correction captain working in the Bronx courthouse on June 10 noticed that Bradley had tried to hang himself with a sweatshirt.
The captain and three other officers rushed to save Bradley’s life, the union said — noting that they cut Bradley down, performed CPR and tried to revive him with a defibrillator.
The union’s president, Benny Boscio, praised the officers’
“outstanding work” and called it “a perfect illustration of the essential services we provide daily.” A union statement said Bradley was on the mend.
“It is very disheartening to hear about the passing of Mr. Bradley. This is a devastating loss to all those who loved him. Our deepest condolences and prayers go out to his family and all those he held dear,” said Correction Commissioner Louis Molina in a statement.
Bradley’s father, Willie Johnson, declined to comment to The News through his lawyer. He is suing the city for $10 million.
The seventh detainee, Anibal Carasquillo, died at the George R. Vierno Center at Rikers Island on Monday. The Correction Department did not say what the cause of death was.
“We are saddened to hear of the passing of this individual,” said Molina about the death of the seventh inmate. “Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones. Every person in our custody is someone’s son, daughter, brother or sister, and it is an especially heartbreaking tragedy to learn that a loved one has passed away while incarcerated.”
The Correction Department announced the death of an eighth detainee, Albert Drye, on Tuesday. Drye died at Bellevue Hospital jail.
In 2021, 16 people died in city custody.