Dashawn Jenkins, a 27-year-old inmate at Rikers Island, died following a medical emergency on March 31, marking the fifth inmate death in city custody in less than two months. Jenkins was awaiting trial for an alleged attempted murder that involved slashing a man's throat, having also faced burglary charges earlier. His death is part of a troubling trend at the facility, with five inmate deaths recorded since February 19, raising concerns about inmate care under the NYC Department of Correction.
The department is mourning the loss of Mr. Jenkins who passed away in our care on the evening of March 31. We share our condolences with his loved ones and will investigate every aspect of this tragedy.
Jenkins was locked up in Rikers while awaiting a trial for an alleged attempted murder last summer, prison records show.
Jenkins allegedly grabbed a man from behind July 16 on Park Avenue at 34th Street in Manhattan and slashed three-quarters of his throat with a box-cutter, according to the district attorney's office.
Jenkins' death marks the fifth of an inmate at Rikers in fewer than two months. A total of five inmates died at the jail in all of 2024.
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