Ex Corrections Capt. Convicted of Crim. Negligent Homicide in Detainees Death

[Prosay]

nypost.com
Ex-NYC jail captain convicted of criminally negligent homicide in inmate suicide

Elizabeth Rosner
3-4 minutes

A former New York City correction captain was convicted of criminally negligent homicide Tuesday for ordering her subordinate not to step in when an inmate hanged himself inside his cell at a Manhattan jail.

Rebecca Hillman, 40, could be sentenced to up to four years in prison in the November 2020 death of Ryan Wilson, who killed himself while locked up at the Manhattan Detention Complex, also known as The Tombs, on a parole violation and robbery charges.

The jury deliberated for six hours over two days to find Hillman guilty, following a week-long trial in Manhattan Supreme Court.

Prosecutors said Hillman prevented a lower-ranking jail guard from intervening when Wilson, 29, who struggled with mental illness, threatened to hang himself inside his cell on Nov. 22, 2020.

The officer attempted to calm Wilson and called Hillman to inform her that she was needed immediately in the housing unit. Instead, Hillman went into the control room, where she began filling out paperwork.



About 10 minutes later, Wilson stood on his bed, his neck in a noose, and began a countdown before jumping off, according to prosecutors. The lower-ranking officer saw Wilson jump and called for the cell to be opened immediately so he could cut him down.

But Hillman ordered the guard not to cut Wilson down, later saying the prisoner was just “playing around” and still breathing, according to prosecutors.

Surveillance footage presented to jurors showed that Hillman ordered jail staff to open the door for less than a minute before ordering it shut again — even as Wilson hung motionless.

Some 15 minutes went by before Hillman finally gave the order to open the cell again and called for a medical team. By the time paramedics arrived, Wilson was dead.

Hillman was charged with one count each of criminally negligent homicide and offering a false instrument for filing in April 2021. She was acquitted of the charge of making false statements in official paperwork following her trial.

Todd Spodek, Hillman’s attorney, told The Post his client may appeal the verdict.

“Ms. Hillman regrets any role that she played in the unfortunate passing of Mr. Wilson. The verdict is bittersweet,” Spodek told The Post. “We are pleased that the jury found her not guilty of the sole intentional crime and at this juncture are exploring all options.”

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement, “Rebecca Hillman failed in her duty to provide for the safety of those under her watch as a Captain of the Department of Correction, causing the death of Ryan Wilson through her inexplicable negligence.”

Hillman is expected to be sentenced on April 3.

[keltec]

I cut down two prisoners that tried hanging themselves in our little jail . We used to strip search every prisoner held over night but NJ made that illegal . So both had shoelaces in their crotches that they used as tourniquets when shooting heroin . I give credit to our female dispatcher who said out loud "The prisoner does'nt look right standing against the bars " - and I knew right away what he was doing .

Another prisoner was successful and did it 5 minutes after I got off duty . I got the call at home , nobody wanted to use the word Dead . They kept saying he was "gone" "done" and when I asked clearly if he was dead the answer was "Uh ...pretty much " .

[509thSFS]

Last month a prisoner played dead on us. We know what a dead man looks like. This guy was so convincing, he fooled two of us. I was so happy when he wasn't dead anymore that I couldn't get mad.

[Pensiontheif]

I had a friend who got promoted to sergeant and sent to Central Booking. He went in to relieve the sergeant from the previous tour . The [ censored] attempted to pass the dead body on to him , telling him the guy was just sleeping .

[PressurePointCop]

Why I hated being a desk officer boiled down to one word: prisoners. No good can come of any of them.

[Jobsecurity]

Why I hated being a desk officer boiled down to one word: prisoners. No good can come of any of them.

As a desk officer, with the multitude of bullshit I had to deal with, prisoners were the absolute bane of my existence. Pro tip to all rookie Sgts out there, GET YOUR PRISONERS TO BOOKING!!! YOU will be the one holding the bag if he or she tries to kill themselves, dies, or escapes. Not the Plt Cmdr, not the CO, not the Patrol Supervisor (unless this all happens when he / she takes the desk so you can get a break)… YOU.