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The family of a Rikers inmate, who died just hours before he was to be released on a minor charge, raised questions Monday about just what happened to him.
Michael DeShields, 61, of the Bronx, was only in the city jail system for three days and was slated to be released Friday. But he was found unresponsive in his cell at about 3:15 a.m. at the Eric M.
Taylor Center. He died at 4 a.m.
DeShields, who just had a birthday on May 17, exercised regularly and had no medical issues other than high blood pressure, which is common in his family, his brother Kenneth DeShields, 54, of the Bronx, told the Daily News.
"I’m trying to get to the bottom of it," he said. "No one is giving me any explanation. He was saying his head was hurting, and no one did anything, and then he was dead.
He didn't have medicine and they ignored him."
Kenneth DeShields said he spoke to an official with the city Medical Examiner’s office who told him that in the hours prior to his death, his brother had been complaining that he didn’t have his blood pressure medication.
Michael DeShields was arrested on May 24 for criminal facilitation, which is a misdemeanor charge of aiding someone else about to commit a crime.
"A little case made him die; a misdemeanor," he said. "What I think is he just could have got a ticket and had a court appearance for that, and he would still be alive."
DeShields added that his brother may have had some kind of confrontation with an inmate or a correction officer prior to his death.
He said city officials would not let him view his brother’s body in person at Queens General Hospital, where it is being kept.
Instead, they made him go to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx where he viewed a photograph of his dead brother.
Michael DeShields (pictured) was the sixth inmate to die behind bars on Rikers Island this year, officials said.
“His mouth looked like he was struggling to breath,” he said. “His left eye was closed and his right eye was open, and his mouth open like he was groaning, gasping.”
DeShields was the sixth inmate to die behind bars on Rikers Island this year, officials said. Four were determined to be natural causes. Two others are still being evaluated by the M.E.’s office.
The M.E. has yet to issue a cause of death in the case.
The city Department of Investigation was expected to look into the case, an NYPD source said.
"Any death in custody is a tragedy and Commissioner [Joseph] Ponte extends his heartfelt condolences to the Deshields family,” a DOC spokeswoman said. “An investigation into this death is under way.”
DeShields worked for years as a house-keeper in various hospitals before he retired.
He grew up in Harlem on Amsterdam Ave.
“That was his childhood home,” said Ronnie Lang, 37, a nephew. “Everybody knew who he was. When something like this hit close to home, you gotta sit back and think there's something wrong here.”