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Greenville, Mississippi
/ Exposed
Sep 2, 2026/ Exposed
Black Lives Matter Georgia · Sep 2, 2026
Saniyah Cheatham
Ruled Suicide — Family Lawsuit Filed
Age 18 · July 5, 2025 · Bronx, New York
NYPD 41st Precinct holding cell, Longwood Avenue
/ What Happened
On July 4, 2025, 18-year-old Saniyah Cheatham attended a family cookout at Crotona Park in the Bronx. Later that evening, she got into a fight with her girlfriend, and both were arrested. Cheatham was taken to the NYPD's 41st Precinct on Longwood Avenue. At approximately 12:40 a.m. on July 5, officers found Cheatham unresponsive in her holding cell. Police attempted life-saving procedures before transporting her to Lincoln Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The NYPD told the family she hanged herself using a sweater. Her mother, Thomasina Cheatham, said her daughter was not wearing a sweater that day. She was wearing a jersey when she was arrested. Cheatham's death was one of nine deaths in NYPD custody in 2025.
/ Official Ruling
The New York City Medical Examiner ruled Cheatham's death a suicide by hanging. The NYPD's Force Investigation Unit investigated. The NYPD has not released surveillance footage from inside the 41st Precinct despite repeated demands from the family and their attorneys. Police initially refused to let the family see her body.
/ What The Family Says
"I don't believe she killed herself. Maybe she said something they didn't like, they roughed her up. I don't believe my daughter committed suicide." — Thomasina Cheatham, Saniyah's mother. The family is represented by civil rights attorney Ben Crump. In October 2025, attorney David B. Rankin filed a $25 million lawsuit against the city, claiming it is vicariously responsible for Cheatham's death. Friends described Saniyah as "one of the most amazing, most special girls in the world." She was preparing to start her next semester at Bronx Community College.