NEW YORK – The mother of a suicidal inmate who hanged himself at Rikers Island jail after a guard allegedly dared him to do it has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against New York City.
An attorney for Desdemona Offley says Wednesday that Quanell Offley was begging for help in November 2013 but was instead ignored.
Investigative documents obtained by The Associated Press show one guard allegedly told Offley, "If you have the balls, go ahead and do it."
The AP reported in June the case was one of nine jail suicides between 2009 and 2013 where investigators found safeguards designed to prevent inmates from harming themselves weren't followed.
A spokesman says city lawyers will review the lawsuit.
In October, officials announced they'd secured a $400,000 federal grant to review inmate suicides.
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