A 33-year-old woman died in city custody in Brooklyn on Sunday after police called emergency medical workers because she was unconscious, NYPD officials said Monday.
The woman, Zamiqua Miller, was being held at Brooklyn Central Booking, which shares the same building as Brooklyn Criminal Court, on Schermerhorn and Smith streets in Downtown Brooklyn, officials said. Police called paramedics for help around 7:20 a.m. Sunday, and she was pronounced dead on the scene, according to the NYPD.
The Brooklyn district attorney’s office said Miller had been charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and was waiting to appear before a judge when she died. Her cause and manner of death were not released right away.
Police said Miller lived at the New York City Housing Authority’s Tilden Houses in Brownsville. The NYPD said its Force Investigation Division is investigating her death.
Court records show Miller had two open criminal cases against her in Queens court since last year, on charges including burglary, petit larceny and criminal trespassing. The nonprofit Legal Aid Society, which represented her in those cases, did not immediately comment.
Miller is the fourth person reported to have died in city police or corrections custody so far this year, according to authorities.
In March, 51-year-old Vincent Thoms died in custody after being held at Manhattan Central Booking, where police said he had multiple seizures. Just days later, 39-year-old Barry Cozart died after having a medical episode while incarcerated at Rikers Island. And late last month, 49-year-old John Price died at a hospital after being transferred from Rikers.
This story is based on preliminary information from law enforcement officials and may be updated.