July 10, 2025 BRONX, NY – An 18-year-old Bronx Community College student, Saniyah Cheatham, died over the weekend while in the custody of the New York City Police Department, sources confirm. Her death, which police are classifying as a suicide, has sparked immediate demands for transparency and the release of surveillance footage from her grieving family.

Cheatham was arrested Friday night following an altercation with a friend, according to her family. She was subsequently transported to the 41st Precinct stationhouse in the Bronx.

Just hours later, around 12:40 a.m. Saturday, officers found Cheatham unresponsive in her cell. The NYPD stated that CPR was administered by officers until emergency medical services arrived. She was then transported to Lincoln Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

While police sources indicate suicide as the cause, the official determination from the medical examiner is still pending.

However, Cheatham's family is challenging the police's account, expressing strong doubts that she took her own life. They are urgently calling for the NYPD to release any and all surveillance video from the precinct that could shed light on the circumstances leading to her death.

In response to the growing questions, the NYPD issued a brief statement: "The NYPD's Force Investigation Division investigation remains ongoing."

Saniyah Cheatham - Pictured Left

This tragic incident raises serious questions about the protocols and oversight of individuals in police custody, particularly those who are young and potentially vulnerable. As the investigation continues, the focus will undoubtedly remain on the NYPD to provide a full and transparent account of what transpired inside the 41st Precinct.