Family Of Man Who Died At Rikers Will Sue For $10 Million

The family of a man who died from a lacerated liver during an altercation with correction officers at Rikers Island will sue the city for $10 million. Clarence Mobley, 60, was in custody at the jail on May 2nd, awaiting a psychiatric evaluation related to robbery charges, when he "took a swing" at an officer with a metal tray. He was subdued and placed in a holding cell, and was later found dead. Yesterday the medical examiner ruled it a homicide, finding that Mobley died from a tear in his liver caused by a blow; NYPD investigators are still looking into the incident. Mobley had taken a bus from North Carolina to NYC on April 25th to attend a family funeral, but he never contacted his family when he arrived, for reasons unknown to them. Five days later he was arrested trying to break into an apartment in Queens. His son Darian tells the Times, "Everybody is hurting. My father didn’t deserve that. He was a little guy." The civil lawsuit is just the latest related to a death at Rikers, where corruption among the guards is allegedly endemic.

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By John Del Signore in News on June 17, 2009 1:34 PM

Comments [rss]

Clarice City

Jackpot.

dilligaf

ARE YOU KIDDING???

He took a swing at an officer? And was caught breaking into a home? Will this country ever stop? My father was a criminal let me sue because he did not listen to the officers.

JEEZZZ

pally

He took a swing at an officer, therefore, he deserves to die. Brilliant.

Cautious Pessimist

He didn't deserve to die, but he did deserve to get the shit beat out of him for taking a swing at the guard. Either way, his life was not worth $10,000,000. We really gotta get over this whole "life is priceless" thing.

NannyState

Dear Family of the Deceased,

Sorry for your loss. As to your claim for $10 million, it's instructive to note that defending counsel will employ an economist to determine the productive worth of the decedent and establish reasonable compensation for the working life remaining for this 60 year old man. Based on those criteria, and previous work history, it will be determined that this individual would have earned $23.52 over the course of the next seven years before Social security eligibility ( if such exists).

Have a nice day.