Diabetic Man Almost Dies During Subway Etiquette Arrest

An example of the sort of subway seat hogging the MTA is trying to curtail. [1987porsche944 (on vacation)' Flickr]

Of all the stupid arrests of people caught putting their feet up on subway seats, this one has got to be the stupidest—and scariest—so far. The Post reports that Juan Castillo, a 25-year-old diabetic, almost died after spending 30 hours in police custody after he was arrested for disorderly conduct by cops. His crime: After injecting insulin through his trouser leg on the F train on September 17th last year, Castillo "lifted his right knee up and wedged his right heel on his seat, underneath his right buttock, so that he could more easily rub his thigh at the injection site."

Officer John Rocha spotted the infraction, and summoned Castillo off the train. Ordinarily, this sort of thing results in a summons, and the perpetrator is not taken into custody. But for reasons left unexplained by the tabloid, Castillo was arrested. He claims he was assured by other cops that he would be released "shortly" and that they brushed off his pleas for insulin. And when he called his sister, police allegedly told her not to deliver insulin because he'd be out soon.

Instead, they took him to Queens Central Booking and threw him in a holding cell, where he "began to throw up and... started drifting in and out of consciousness," according to the lawsuit Castillo's filing against the city. 30 hours after cops found him, Castillo was brought before a judge, who dismissed the charge. But he had to be taken to Metropolitan Hospital, where he remained for two days. He's suing the city for an undisclosed sum, and the NYPD's gonna to need to write a lot more summonses to help cover the cost.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on August 3, 2010 11:27 AM

Comments [rss]

Tiesha

THAT FEE SHOULD COME OUT OF THE SALARY OF THE POLICE OFFICER WHO MADE THE DECISION NOT TO ALLOW HIM TO HAVE INSULIN NOT OUT OF OUR TAX DOLLARS. THE AMOUNT OF MONEY HE IS GOING TO RECEIVE WILL INSURE THAT HE WILL NEVER NEED TO RIDE A SUBWAY AGAIN. THIS IS INSANITY!

40oz.killa

SMOKE WEED EVERYDAY

WesleySnipesAlot

ALL DAY EVERYDAY

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

All Day All Night.

fuboy

Is that why you haven't noticed the Caps Lock is on?

SikBug

I am a type 1 diabetic and used to take needle shots in public all the time. Shooting through clothes is actually pretty common I know other diabetes that do this and was told by a doctor once it's fine (however I wouldn't and never did).

This is my #1 fear when it comes to cops, being arrested for doing something I shouldn't arrested for and then dieing or almost dieing in the hold time because of no medical attention.

I hope he sues the hell out of the city and police are re trained on how to deal with situations like this.

Will

Just a heads up but the MTA has our public police force enforcing a 2 tickets per lifetime you go to jail policy. No matter what the ticket was for or how long ago if you get a second one the Police are REQUIRED by the MTA to take you in for Judge hearing... up to 24 hours. I've been told there are days the courts are filled with gum chewers and folks who changed cars while the train was not moving.... serious criminals. NOT

Is supposed to be a big secret. The cop calls in your license and an operator reads back the number. The number tells the cop to bring you in or write the ticket.

So if you have a ticket for anything anytime your number will be to be put behind bars....

that's what happened to this guy most likely.

Dogsbody

If I had to rub my thigh for some reason, the easiest way to do it would be to do so in a regular seated position (i.e. with my legs in front of me and my feet on the floor). I can't imagine how putting a foot up on a seat would make it any easier to reach your thigh. Definitely something not-right about this guy's side of the story.

Mordicai

I hate people who put their feet up on the subway a whole heck of a bunch. I disproportionally hate it. You know when I make exceptions to my overwhelming misanthropy? When people are doing it for legitimate medical reasons, like this guy & the little person who had similar troubles. You know what though? That is a whole 'nother issue-- the real topic here is police denying medical treatment to someone, which I'm pretty sure even POWs get.

potsmoker

yeah more $$$$ for a non violent taxpayer caught up in the nypd's flimflam stats & overtime generating revenue machine that threw this guy into the system and neglected his medical care.

yeah gloomberg, money money money out of our pockets and i support him %100 percent.

cop defenders and subway seat lovers will wish this guy had died and praise pigs from here to the end of time.

facts are, there was a need for medical compassion before ticketing and arresting him and medical treatment while in custody...he got neither and now will be rich

thanks to pigs in uniform.

please release the stats that nypd never gives,

what percentage of arrests occur at the end of shift, where these unrelenting zero tolerance type arrests always seem to occur at the end of a cops shift when OVERTIME is needed...

Angelheaded Hipster

you have no idea what you are talking about --- none. you're just babbling

potsmoker

pot is a helluva drug!

pigs are made to be barbequed.

nypd is out of control.

hardy har har.

henryhamilton

I really don't buy this story as presented by The Post or G'mist. There is more going on, and I'll bet every bit of info from here on favors the cops.

Sinchy

where are my comments?

ganghiscon

The guy in the photo perfectly matches the seats.

youngpro

all he's gonna do is pull the victim card (too late!) and claim he had just injected his insulin and that he needed to do so emergently and right through his clothing or else he would have died...all as an excuse of course to keep his feet up on the seat.

also, his sister offered to bring insulin to him, which he REJECTED, even if thinking he would be out soon. i say his hospital stay is due to his stupidly rejecting the sister's insulin offer and not because of the police.

this 'poor' guy hasnt got a shot in hell.

Rocknrope

Honestly youngpro, I'm not sure why this story has your panties in such a bunch. Do you think diabetics actually enjoy injecting themselves in public in front of all the gawking public to judge them, as you are doing?

You know nothing about this man's specific condition or the severity of this ailment, yet you feel justified in saying that it was fine for the police to arrest him and keep him locked up for 30 hours for an infraction that typically receives a minor summons.

Since the judge dismissed the charge, and the guy had to go to the hospital for two days afterwards, shows that whatever you think you know about diabetes, there obviously was some merit to his physical distress. Why you're creating a straw man to tear this guy down is beyond me.

youngpro

yes, if the lawyer for the city can prove he was in fact using his 'disability' as an excuse for illegally putting his legs up on the seat.

Rocknrope

What? Please respond in full sentences.

youngpro

judging by your other posts today and other days, you seem to be quote the grammar aficionado. unfortunately sense, rationale, and academia elude you.