Deaths in Custody: A Comprehensive Review

Join the Deputy Chief Medical Examiner of the New York OCME, Francisco J. Diaz, MD, FACP, as he presents the definition for the phrase “death in custody” and describes all phases of custody to include arrest, transport, booking, incarceration, and health care. Additionally, Dr. Diaz will highlight case studies of deaths, including the five manners of deaths and a special focus on drug-related deaths. Lastly, he will provide a brief overview of the National Association of Medical Examiners scientific position paper he co-authored in 2017 titled Recommendations for the Definition, Investigation, Postmortem Examination, and Reporting of Deaths in Custody (Academic Forensic Pathology, 2017). This paper outlined the best practices for examination, death determination, and manner of death classification.