The case marks one of the first Schneiderman has investigated since Gov. Cuomo granted his office the power to investigate the deaths of civilians in police custody.
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Mount Vernon Mayor Ernie Davis, in a statement, promised an “expeditious and thorough” investigation, but said the city could not make “detailed statements that may compromise the investigation”. “I want to thank the citizens of Mount Vernon and from all over for their patience while a thorough investigation moves forward”.
Osvaldo Gonzalez, a lawyer for the family, said Turner had been arrested Friday after allegedly stealing a small item from a drug store.
The death in Texas this month of Sandra Bland, a jailed woman, has drawn national attention.
“I don’t know what happened”, he said. She was denied release on a so-called desk appearance ticket – officials have not said why – and held for arraignment, meaning she would have to wait until Monday because the Saturday morning court session had wrapped up hours earlier.
Raynette Turner was arrested for shoplifting.
After her arrest, she was put in a holding cell to await arraignment at the start of the week, according to Mount Vernon Deputy Police Commissioner Richard Burke and Capt. Edward Adinaro. On Sunday night, she reported not feeling well and was taken, by ambulance, to a hospital.
While it is still a tragedy that Raynette passed, her family believes her death was an incident of police neglect rather than police brutality. She was found dead in her cell the next day. The man who had been married to Turner for 23 years said that everything seems a cover-up and if the police had done their job his wife would still be alive. The officials say Turner was found dead at 2 p.m. Monday.
A 43-year-old Westchester County mother of eight mysteriously died in police custody – and her heartbroken husband is demanding answers.
“Unfortunately the woman had a history of bariatric problems”.
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Joe Marino/New York Daily News Raynette Turner, 42, was found dead in a Mount Vernon police holding cell Monday, two days after she was arrested on shoplifting charges.
