Man dies in custody after arraignment at Bronx Criminal Court; Legal Aid attorney, city officials seek answers
The man, identified as Julian Pagan, was found unresponsive shortly before 6 p.m.
More Stories
A 29-year-old man died Friday night after he was found unresponsive in a holding cell at Bronx Criminal Court, according to the New York City Department of Correction.
The incident prompted the state and city officials to investigate and renewed questions about deaths in custody.
Authorities say Julian Pagan was found unresponsive in a courthouse holding cell shortly before 6 p.m. after being arraigned at Bronx Criminal Court. He was taken to Lincoln Hospital, where he died about 30 minutes later.
In a statement released Saturday, Samantha Brugger, a staff attorney in the Bronx Trial Office at The Legal Aid Society, said she was heartbroken by Pagan’s death.
Brugger said she had been with Pagan in Bronx Criminal Court just hours before his death and that he was “alert, engaged and showed no signs of experiencing a medical emergency.”
She also described a conversation Pagan had with his father after learning he would be returning to Rikers Island. According to Brugger, Pagan’s father told him to “hang in there” and that he loved him.
Brugger said the prospect of returning to Rikers Island deeply distressed Pagan.
Court records show police arrested Pagan in August 2025 on assault and harassment charges. Earlier this month, a judge issued a bench warrant after he failed to comply with court orders, according to court records.
Brugger called on city officials to provide answers surrounding Pagan’s death.
“Mr. Pagan’s family deserves answers. No family should be left to learn that a loved one entered the city’s custody alive only to be told hours later that he had died,” Brugger said in a statement.
The death also drew reaction from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who called it “deeply saddening.”
New York City Correction Commissioner Stanley Richards also released a statement. It reads “We are deeply saddened by this tragedy, and we share our condolences with Mr. Pagan’s loved ones."
Richards went on to add that the Department of Correction will investigate the circumstances surrounding Pagan’s death.
A spokesperson for the New York Attorney General’s Office said the office is also investigating the incident.
Pagan had been scheduled to return to Bronx Criminal Court on Aug. 5.
