3 New York City correction officers, captain indicted over response to Nicholas Feliciano's attempted suicide on Rikers Island
NEW YORK - Three New York City correction officers and a captain have been indicted over an incident where an inmate attempted to take his own life.
The four workers are accused of waiting nearly eight minutes before helping the inmate.
As CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis reports, the family, which has been seeking justice since 2019, says this is a step in the right direction. The officers involved face charges of reckless endangerment and official misconduct.
The handcuffed correction officers quietly entered the courtroom Monday. Inside, they only uttered the words "not guilty."
Outside, the family of Nicholas Feliciano, holding his picture, had more to say.
"Even though these officers are going to get charged, my Nicholas will never be the same due to the amount of damage that was done to him. He has brain damage and they took his future away," said Madeline Feliciano, Nicholas Feliciano's grandmother.
November marks three years since the then 18-year-old attempted to take his life while in custody at Rikers Island. His grandmother has been fighting for justice since.
"My grandson didn't belong there in the first place. They knew he had mental issues," Madeline Feliciano said.
An October report by the Correction Department Oversight Board notes Feliciano was hanging for seven minutes and 51 seconds in plain view of correction officers and others before they came to his aid. And it was captured on surveillance video.
"It's just horrific. I'm angry. I see the video myself, and I see what they did," Madeline Feliciano said.
David Rankin represents the Feliciano family.
"To see some guards actually charged is a step in the right direction," Rankin said.
Officers Kenneth Hood, Mark Wilson, Daniel Fullerton and Capt. Terry Henry had no comment, leaving court alongside their attorneys.
The president of the Correction Officers Benevolent Association said "Today's indictment of our officers, stemming from an incident that occurred over three years ago, is further evidence that this case is being driven more by politics than by facts," pointing out the U.S. attorney's office did not pursue criminal charges.
The family's attorney echoed many calls to shut down Rikers Island.
"Not one more death in Rikers Island and not one more Nicholas Feliciano," Rankin said.
The officers were released and will be back in court Sept. 15th. Two resigned from the Correction Department in February.