EEP Law Releases Statement on the Record $4.5M Settlement Reached in Tragic NYC Jail Death Case of Ryan Wilson
“This settlement sends a powerful message that the lives of those in custody matter,” – John Elefterakis
The City of New York has agreed to pay $4.5 million to settle a landmark civil rights case involving the 2020 death of Ryan Wilson, who died by suicide at age 29 while in custody at the Manhattan Detention Center after correction officers failed to intervene despite clear warning signs.
The settlement, among the largest ever paid for an in-custody death in New York City, follows the criminal conviction of former DOC Captain Rebecca Hillman for criminally negligent homicide.
“This settlement sends a powerful message that the lives of those in custody matter,” said John Elefterakis, founding partner of Elefterakis, Elefterakis & Panek (EEP), which represented Wilson’s family. “The systemic failures that led to Ryan’s death demands wholesale reform of how our correction facilities treat mental health crises.”
The civil rights lawsuit exposed widespread institutional failures within the Department of Correction that ultimately led to Wilson’s preventable death. His sister, Elayna Manson, serving as Administrator of the Estate, emphasized the settlement’s bittersweet nature: “While no amount of money can restore what was taken from us, this resolution represents hard-won accountability for a broken system that failed my brother.”
This landmark settlement reinforces EEP’s position as New York’s leading civil rights and personal injury firm, with a proven track record of holding government institutions accountable for constitutional violations.
For more information about this case or EEP’s civil rights practice, visit www.eeplaw.com.
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