Woman DIES In CELL—Police Say NOTHING!

An 18‑year‑old Bronx woman, Saniyah Cheatham, was found unconscious and later died in NYPD custody at the 41st Precinct, sparking urgent calls for transparency and justice.

At a Glance

• Saniyah Cheatham was found unresponsive in NYPD custody around 12:30 a.m. on July 5 and later died at Lincoln Hospital.
• The NYPD has not disclosed why she was detained or what led to her condition.
• The cause of death remains pending following an autopsy by the medical examiner.
• The New York State Attorney General’s Office and the NYPD Force Investigation Division have launched investigations.

A Death in NYPD Custody

Saniyah Cheatham, a Bronx Community College student, was discovered unconscious inside the 41st Precinct stationhouse in Longwood early Saturday morning. Officers administered CPR before EMS transported her to Lincoln Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The NYPD has not yet explained why she was in custody, nor what occurred in the hours leading up to her collapse, according to CBS News New York.

The incident immediately triggered public concern and protest, as Cheatham’s death marked yet another high-profile in-custody fatality with limited transparency.

Watch a video: Bronx Teen Dies in NYPD Custody

Multiple Investigations Underway

As required under New York law, the State Attorney General’s Office launched an independent investigation into the case. Simultaneously, the NYPD’s Force Investigation Division is conducting a separate internal review, as confirmed by the New York Post.

Cheatham’s family told CBS New York she had been laughing and socializing at a cookout just hours before her death. Her mother now calls for full access to precinct surveillance and officer bodycam footage, desperate for answers about what happened inside that cell.

As the city awaits the results of both investigations, the pressure is mounting on law enforcement and political leaders to provide clarity—and justice—for the death of Saniyah Cheatham.