New York City has agreed to a settlement of over $28 million in a civil rights lawsuit filed by the grandmother of a man who attempted suicide while in custody on Rikers Island. Madeline Feliciano alleges that three correction officers and a captain waited nearly eight minutes before helping her grandson, Nicholas Feliciano, when he tried to take his own life in a jail cell in November 2019. A report by the Correction Department Oversight Board found that Nicholas was left hanging for seven minutes and 51 seconds, resulting in brain damage.
The incident was captured on surveillance video, with correction officers and others present at the time. Three correction officers and a captain were indicted on reckless endangerment and official misconduct charges in 2022. Two of the guards have already pled guilty to official misconduct, while the other cases are still pending. In the settlement, filed in US District Court in Manhattan, the city will pay Madeline Feliciano $28.75 million.
Madeline Feliciano and her lawyers are also calling for the closure of Rikers Island. In 2019, the New York City Council passed a plan to shut down the troubled jail complex by 2026 and build four smaller jails in Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx. However, Mayor Eric Adams has expressed concerns about public safety and the ability of the borough jails to accommodate the Rikers population.
The settlement will provide assistance with Nicholas’ ongoing medical condition and therapies, but his grandmother emphasizes that the damage is already done and he will never be the same. CBS News New York has reached out to the Department of Correction for comment on the settlement.
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