A mother of eight is the fifth Black woman to be found dead in a jail cell since mid-July.
Mount Vernon, New York native Raynette Turner died in a Westchester County jail cell, according to Pix11. Turner, 43, was arrested for allegedly stealing crabs at a wholesale food store on Saturday. Police say the mother was going to be held until Monday for an arraignment, but was found dead that afternoon.
Pix11 reports:
They say that on Sunday night she reported not feeling well and was taken by ambulance to a hospital, then returned to her cell a few hours later. The officials say Turner was found dead at 2 p.m. Monday.
Herman Turner says he doesn’t believe his wife was harmed by the police, but her medical needs were neglected. Turner’s medical history included hypertension and bariatric surgery. Mr. Turner waited for his wife at her arraignment at 4 p.m. on Monday. He and the rest of the family didn’t know she passed away until Tuesday, when detectives came to their home.
Turner’s husband tells The Journal News:
“I want somebody’s head to roll on this,” he said. “I am not going to rest until I get some type of justice for my wife. That’s the bottom line. No one said anything to me about my wife was downstairs, dead, they just let me sit in the courtroom all day long, waiting for her to come and be seen by the judge. I’m angry, very angry. Somebody needs to pay. Somebody really needs to pay for this. I’m sorry, I’m not going to let this rest.”
City officials claim this was Raynette’s third shoplifting arrest, but Mr. Turner says his wife didn’t have police troubles in over five years.
State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman will investigate the incident. Governor Andrew Cuomo hired Schneiderman in July to oversee police-involved incidents that result in the death of an unarmed civilian. This will be first he’s handled after the position was inspired by the case of Eric Garner, an unarmed Staten Island man who died at the hands of a police officer last year.
It is unknown if Schneiderman will launch a full investigation.
Raynette’s autopsy is currently pending.
SOURCE: Pix 11, The Journal News | VIDEO CREDIT: NDN
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Mother Of Eight Becomes Fifth Black Woman To Die In A Police Holding Cell This Month was originally published on newsone.com
