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| Detectives Look Into Death At New York Jail |
| By Newsday |
| Published: 10/07/2002 |
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Alexander Hamilton IV's apparent suicide in a holding cell of the Sixth Precinct in Coram came as he was gaining momentum in a drive to move his life in a positive direction, his former boss said yesterday. Hamilton, 23, who police believe was homeless, was picked up by plainclothes officers on assault and motor vehicle warrants about 1:30 p.m. Sunday as he worked at Blue Point Car Wash and Detailing, said Joe Basso, owner of the business on Montauk Highway. Workers at the car wash said Hamilton's exchange with the officers was as amicable as arrests get: He cooperated fully and was handcuffed, placed in the front passenger seat of the vehicle and driven away. Three hours later, he was dead. A desk officer at the Sixth Precinct station house was observing Hamilton via a closed-circuit monitor and noticed his lifeless body in one of eight cells in the station, his shirt tied around his neck and attached to the cell bars, Suffolk Police Insp. Kenneth Rau said yesterday. 'It's a tragedy all around,' Rau said, adding that officers had no clue that Hamilton was unstable. 'He gave no outward signs that he was in trouble.' Hamilton's family could not be reached for comment. Rau said all prisoners are checked by an officer every 30 minutes. Had Hamilton shown signs of psychological distress, he would have been under constant observation. Homicide detectives are investigating the incident as the Suffolk County medical examiner's office conducts an autopsy to determine the official cause of death. Basso, who had supervised Hamilton during his two stints as an employee of the car wash, said Hamilton had overcome a string of personal setbacks, including homelessness, a volatile love relationship, unemployment and alcoholism, when he was arrested. 'I'm not sure what went through his mind, but I'm sure he felt pretty disgusted with everything,' Basso said, speaking of Hamilton's state of mind at the time of his arrest. 'What was ahead for him was nothing good.' Police released only scanty details of the charges Hamilton had faced, saying it was a 'domestic assault' case and also involved his failure to appear in court in August. Basso said Hamilton had worked at the car wash earlier this year, getting five months of experience before a difficult personal relationship with a woman began affecting his work. He came in late, missed days and had fiery arguments on the company phone, Basso said. Basso said he had to fire Hamilton. But Hamilton took stock of his life and began to take steps to improve it, Basso said. He came back to the car wash about a month ago, explaining his plight and listing what he had done to fix it. He enrolled in Alcoholics Anonymous, said his problems with the woman were over, and told Basso he faced an assault charge. Basso gave Hamilton his old job back three weeks ago. As recently as Saturday, Hamilton said he had lined up an apartment in Manorville, Basso said, adding that a solid address was perhaps the clearest sign that things were getting better for him. Basso heard yesterday morning from his wife that Hamilton had died in police custody. She had heard the news on the radio. 'I was really shocked and surprised,' Basso said. 'I can't believe this happened.' |
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