The city’s Department of Correction said on Friday that it had suspended three staff members after a captain and an officer discovered a 29-year-old man dead inside his cell at the Rikers Island jail complex in the middle of the night.
The man, Ardit Billa, was the ninth detainee to die in custody at Rikers this year, according to the department. He was found unresponsive in his cell at the George R. Vierno Center around midnight on Aug. 23. The captain and the officer rendered aid, as did medical workers, but Mr. Billa was pronounced dead at 12:58 a.m., according to the department.
The department did not immediately respond to questions about why the staff members had been put on leave.
Lynelle Maginley-Liddie, the commissioner, offered condolences to Mr. Billa’s family and said in a statement, “Any loss of life in our custody is a tragedy, and we are committed to a full review of the circumstances surrounding this incident.”
Mr. Billa was arrested on Jan. 22 and was facing a handful of charges, including felony assault. He had pleaded not guilty and was scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 15.
The Legal Aid Society, which had been representing Mr. Billa, said more details about his death should be released.
“In the city jails, suspensions of line officers are typically a short-term response, but leadership is rarely held accountable for systemic failures, and so abuse continues,” a Legal Aid spokesperson said.
At least five people died at Rikers or shortly after being released from city custody during the first three months of the year — as many as had died in all of last year.
Samantha Latson is a Times reporter covering New York City and a member of the 2025-26 Times Fellowship class, a program for journalists early in their careers.
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