The 7Th Precinct Vs. Jack Franqui in 2013, Jack Franqui Landed in a Jail Cell
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THE LONG ISLAND NEWSPAPER Sunday, December 20, 2015 a NEWSDAY aNd NEWS 12 sPeCIaL RePORT The 7th precinct vs. Jack Franqui In 2013, Jack Franqui landed in a jail cell. He left in a body bag. BY GUS GARCIA-ROBERTS | [email protected] Newsday n Jan. 23, 2013, one of Long Island’s coldest nights in years, Jack Fran- JETS BOOST PLAYOFFPUSH WITH WIN OVER COWBOYS SPORTS SPORTS FINAL newsday.com $3.99 | LI EDITION qui shivered in a Suffolk County Sunday Dec. 20, 2015 HI 43°LO35° O MOSTLY SUNNY Police Department holding cell wearing THE LONG ISLAND NEWSPAPER only his socks and underwear, his bruised ANEWSDAY AND NEWS12 SPECIAL REPORT body soaked in toilet water. He had been ranting for hours that the cops had un- fairly targeted him and that he planned to THE 7TH PRECINCT leave his cell in a body bag. He fashioned a noose from a pair of bluejeans knotted to the bars of his cell. VS.JACKFRANQUI It was the third time in a matter of hours that Franqui — a 26-year-old man from Rocky Point booked on misdemeanor charges — had tied something to the bars. Officers on duty at the Seventh Precinct in Shirley had already confiscated a blan- Aftermultiple confrontations with officers, ket and Franqui’s T-shirt in separate inci- LI man hanged himself in apolicelockup. No one came to help him. dents. But officers ignored protocol and FIRST OF TWOPARTS STARTS ON A2-3 | VIDEOATNEWSDAY●COM COPYRIGHT 2015, NEWSDAY LLC, LONG ISLAND,VOL. 76,NO. 109 failed to put Franqui under closer super- vision or transport him to a hospital. A medical examiner would later state Franqui’s body was cold to the touch that it takes roughly 10 minutes for some- by the time officers made it to the cell- body to suffer irreversible damage from block. Deciding there was no point in try- hanging the way Franqui did. During that ing to resuscitate him, officers left Fran- time, the only other prisoner in the cell- qui’s body hanging in his makeshift noose. block said he faced a surveillance camera, The homicide detectives who arrived made frantic gestures toward Franqui’s soon after began to piece together what cell and screamed for officers to come had gone wrong. The officers on duty kept save the dying man. records documenting prisoner checks When nobody came, he gave up. He that may not have actually occurred. The heard gasping, bones cracking and then officers failed to act not only after Fran- silence. qui had tied two items to the bars, but also An officer eventually noticed Fran- despite obvious signs of erratic behavior qui’s dangling body on a closed-circuit witnessed by the other prisoner includ- monitor. ing banging his head repeatedly against “What is this guy doing now?” the of- the wall, drenching himself in toilet water ficer, Joseph Simeone, remarked. and begging to be taken to the hospital. 1 | Newsday The 7th precinct vs. Jack Franqui Detectives found that an intercom sys- those dealing with “possible mental/ tem that pipes in sound from the cellblock emotional issues.” to where officers were stationed 70 feet “You’re dealing with good people, but away had been switched off. And officers they’re suffering from this illness,” said had turned up the volume on a TV they SCPD Sgt. Colleen Cooney, speaking in were watching loud enough to drown out general and not about Jack Franqui. “And the other prisoner’s screams for help. the officer has to realize that they may Suffolk County’s law enforcement of- not be behaving in their best way because ficials did not tell the public this story of they’re dealing with this illness, which failure and neglect. Instead, the depart- might make them dangerous to them- ment contradicted its own internal doc- selves or others.” uments in saying that Franqui was calm, Before Franqui’s clash with local law at ease and showed “no indication” that enforcement in December 2011, he led he was suicidal before he took officers by what was on the surface an unremarkable surprise and suddenly killed himself. life. After attending Rocky Point High, he Franqui’s family got the same story, lived in a rented 720-square-foot, cream- and for months, they had no choice but to colored duplex on Xylo Road, drove a assume it was the truth. Honda and owned a dog named Dog. Franqui’s friends said he liked to un- here’s an increasing burden on wind after work by playing Xbox while police officers to deal with men- smoking marijuana. He worked as a chef Ttal health issues requiring a law at the American Red Cross, where he enforcement response. Suffolk officers cooked meals for the elderly. After his transported 4,273 people, most of them in- death, some of the older women who voluntarily, to a psychiatric ward in 2014. worked with him there would take the The number has risen steadily every year time to write remembrances of the goofy, since 2008, when Suffolk officers trans- lanky young man who called them “Aun- ported 2,524 people for psychiatric care. tie” and was famous for his “egg in a boat SCPD cadets receive hours of train- breakfasts.” ing on how to handle encounters with An only child whose parents had di- the mentally ill, and the department’s vorced when he was a teenager, Fran- rules and procedures call for “compas- qui spent time on the nearby Long Is- sionate, safe and effective handling” of land Sound, kayaking or puttering on a A2 TOPSTORIES TOPSTORIES A3 ANEWSDAY AND NEWS12 SPECIAL REPORT ( PART 1 ) SUICIDE IN ASUFFOLK POLICE LOCKUP The lonely death of AS RASKEV PA OHN /J Jack Franqui AY SD When aprisoner hanged himself,nobody came to help NEW BY GUS GARCIA-ROBERTS ing therewas no point in try- turned up the volume on aTV Franqui. “And the officerhas young man whocalled them These arethe holding cells at [email protected] PART 2TOMORROW ingtoresuscitate him, officers theywerewatchingloud NEWSDAY.COM to realizethat theymay not be “Auntie” and wasfamous for the Suffolk CountyPolice leftFranqui’s bodyhanging in enough to drownout the other behaving in their best waybe- his “egg in aboatbreakfasts.” Department’s Seventh Precinct, On Jan. 23,2013, one of Long his makeshiftnoose. prisoner’s screams forhelp. cause they’redealing with this An onlychild whose par- whereFranqui hanged himself. Island’s coldest nights in cers ignored protocol and Thehomicide detectives Suffolk County’s lawen- illness, which might make ents haddivorced when he years, Jack Franqui shiveredin failed to putFranqui under whoarrivedsoon after began forcement officials did not tell NOWONLINE them dangerous to themselves wasateenager,Franqui spent aSuffolk CountyPoliceDe- closer supervision or trans- to piecetogether what had the public this story of failure News 12 videos or others.” time on the nearbyLong Is- hadjumped him. Butthe elder partment holding cell wearing port him to ahospital. gone wrong. Theofficerson and neglect. Instead, the de- at newsday.com Before Franqui’s clash with land Sound, kayaking or putter- Franqui always suspected the onlyhis socks and underwear, Amedical examiner would duty kept recordsdocument- partment contradicted its own locallaw enforcement in De- ing on a12-foot motorboat wound wasself-inflicted. his bruised bodysoakedintoi- laterstatethatittakes roughly ing prisoner checks thatmay internal documents in saying cember 2011,heled what was owned by his father,Joaquin ne m TIMELINE ws co let water. He hadbeen ranting 10 minutesfor somebodyto not have actuallyoccurred. thatFranqui wascalm, at ease, on the surface an unremark- Franqui, wholikefivegenera- y. Details on the suicide forhoursthatthe cops had un- sufferirreversible damage Theofficersfailed to act not and showed“no indication” able life. After attending tions of men dating back to ristyRepp,Franqui’s one- da da of Jack Franqui y. co ws fairly targetedhim and thathe from hanging the wayFranqui onlyafter Franqui hadtied thathewas suicidal beforehe RockyPoint High, he livedin Spanish roots also goes by time girlfriend, said he K m ne planned to leave his cell in a did. During that time,the only Y twoitems to the bars,but took officers by surprise and newsday.com arented 720-square-foot, Jack. haduntreatedmental prob- MIL bodybag. other prisoner in the cellblock also despiteobvious signs of suddenlykilled himself. cream-colored duplexonXylo “Hewas my fishing buddy,” lems and hadthreatened sui- NEW 5 FA 01 He fashioned anoose from heardFranqui gasp forair and erratic behavior witnessed Franqui’s familygot the Road, droveaHonda and the elder Franqui, afacilities cide “atleast five or six” times SD ,2 apair of blue jeans knottedto then bones cracking. That pris- by the other prisoner includ- same story,and formonths, owned adog named Dog. manageratStony Brook Uni- when she attempted to break AY 20 the bars of his cell. It wasthe oner facedasurveillancecam- FRANQUI ing banging his headrepeat- theyhad no choice buttoas- Franqui’s friends said he versity,said of his son. “He up with him. ,S thirdtime in amatterofhours era, made frantic gestures to- Jack Franqui is shown on edlyagainst the wall, drench- sume it wasthe truth. apsychiatric ward in 2014. rules and procedures call for liked to unwind afterworkby wasmyconstant companion. “Anybodywho’s taken UND EMBER thatFranqui —a26-year-old ward Franqui’s cell and Christmas Day2012. ing himself in toilet water Thenumber has risen steadily “compassionate,safeand ef- playing Xboxwhile smoking We did everything together.” Psych101 would tell youthat EC man from RockyPoint booked screamed forofficerstocome andbegging to be taken to every year since2008, when fective handling” of those marijuana. He worked as a When he learned that Fran- he wasbipolar,” Repp said. AY ,D ,D on misdemeanor charges— save the dying man.