On Sunday, March 22nd, 51 year old Vincent Thoms died in Manhattan Central Bookings after being held in custody for less than a day. Thoms was arrested for allegedly stealing incense sticks at a CVS store in Harlem. Police officials are claiming that Thoms was “combative to medical staff”, “that he had three seizures when EMS arrived to bookings, and that he died after being taken to the hospital.”
We call bullshit, considering seizure related deaths are extremely rare but NYPD killing Black and other oppressed people is not only common but the necessary function of these pigs across the country.
The NYPD pigs who held Vincent Thoms in custody are murderers who are responsible for Thoms’ life being stolen.
Every time someone is murdered by NYPD, especially while in custody, there are “suspicious circumstances”. This is the status quo— killer cops, corrections officers, and medical staff routinely beat and kill people held in jails and prisons— and then face no consequences.
Last year, nine people died while being held in custody at NYPD holding facilities (local precincts, central bookings). People arrested usually for low level petty crimes, not convicted are being executed by NYPD. The pigs responsible have yet to be named, disciplined, fired, or criminally charged.
It won’t be politicians and reforms that keep the biggest gang in the city, NYPD from killing again. So called “progressive” council members called for “transparency” to NYPD custody related deaths last year in September but nothing has come of it. Mayor Mamdani launched his community safety office to “sideline” NYPD but he also applauded NYPD for shooting 22-year old Jabez Chakraborty while he suffered from a serious mental heath episode.
It will take us going out to the streets and turning up the heat for these pigs to face consequences and be convicted of their crimes if we want to seriously get in the way of these horrors.
Dare to Struggle 