William Johnstone died Saturday while being held on Rikers Island, becoming the sixth person to die this year in the custody of the city’s Department of Correction (DOC).
Johnstone, 47, was found unresponsive in his cell at the George R. Vierno Center on Rikers Island at 1:50 p.m. Saturday afternoon, according to a DOC spokesperson. He was transported to Mount Sinai Queens Hospital in Astoria, where he was pronounced deceased at 3:50 p.m.
The cause of his death remains unclear, and will be determined by the city’s Medical Examiner. Johnstone’s death was first reported by the Daily News Saturday evening.
